Historian asks Delhi to rely on baolis for water, govt takes note

ON NEW Year’s Eve, historian Sohail Hashmi urged Delhi government officials to work towards a Capital which will not have to depend only on the Yamuna for its daily water needs.

Hashmi was speaking at the release of the Delhi assembly’s 2017 calendar on Saturday. The theme of the calendar is the old baolis (step wells) of Delhi.

Hashmi said if we go back to the traditional ways to using wells, streams and step wells, Delhi’s dependency on the Yamuna will decrease.

“We know about the seven cities of Delhi in history and not a single one of those drew water from the Yamuna. Even the three cities built on the banks of the river did not take water from the river,” he said.

Delhi treats 900 million gallons of water daily (MGD). Of this, 60 per cent comes from the Yamuna, 27 per cent from the Ganga and only 13 per cent is groundwater or comes from wells in Delhi.

The Delhi government has announced several plans to tap its own sources and promote rainwater harvesting but Delhi is far behind on its targets.

Hashmi’s plan, which lays emphasis on rainwater harvesting and reviving the ponds and step wells of Delhi, prompted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to seek a report. Water Minister Kapil Mishra will meet Hashmi next week to discuss the plan.

Kejriwal also said that Delhi will have to move towards selfreliance as the demand for water was increasing in neighbouring states because of the rising population.