DMRC will reuse water to revive dried-up lake
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has tied up with government agencies to effectively utilise the groundwater it will dewater during the construction of five of its underground stations in phase 4.
The groundwater will be used to revive a dried lake in North Delhi, maintain the greens at Buddha Park, etc.
Delhi Metro, which started work on the RK Ashram-janakpuri corridor under phase-iv in December last year, will construct five underground stations — RK Ashram, Nabi Karim, Sadar Bazar, Pul Bangash and Ghanta Ghar— on the line where the groundwater level is high.
DMRC officials said the site has to be dewatered to construct the stations. “Water preservation will be a major focus area for DMRC during the construction of phase 4 corridors. We have tied up with government agencies to ensure the drained off groundwater from our five upcoming underground stations on the RK Ashram-janakpuri corridor are properly utilised,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communications, DMRC. Dayal said groundwater from the Ghanta Ghar and Pul Bangash Metro station sites will be used to revive the Roshanara Bagh lake.
“The municipal authority can then plan to start boating and do some general beautification so that the lake can attract tourists. We will lay the pipeline between the proposed station site to the
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In other water conservation initiatives, bio-toilets will be installed at all construction sites.
ANUJ DAYAL, executive director, DMRC
lake. We have had detailed discussions with the north corporation,” a DMRC official said. The two stations are about 800 metres from the park.
Groundwater from RK Ashram and Nabi Karim sites will be supplied to the water tank maintained by the Central Public Works Department. “The tank is nearly a kilometre away from the two construction sites. The tank water is used to maintain the greens at Buddha Garden and nearby premises,” an official said. The Metro has also tied up with Indian Railways to supply the groundwater to its trainwashing facility at Sadar Bazar. “The groundwater from the Sadar Bazar site will be supplied to the train-washing facility of Indian Railways. It is estimated that dewatered groundwater will be available from these sites for about two years after commencement of work,” Dayal said.
“In other water conservation initiatives, bio-toilets will be installed at all construction sites and rainwater harvesting facilities will be put up at casting yards and site offices. In addition, it will be ensured that proper drainage facilities are in place at all the sites,” he added.
Diwan Singh, environmentalist, said, “It is a good initiative that groundwater is being effectively utilised. As for reviving the lake, I hope measures are taken to ensure the lake is permanently revived. The civic bodies should ensure that untreated drain water doesn’t mix with the clean groundwater.”