NEW DELHI: The Palla project started by the Delhi government to increase groundwater level by way of floodwater harvesting has yielded a good result leading to improvement of groundwater up to 2 meters in the area. The development was recently announced by the DJB chairperson Satyendar Jain.
The Palla project was kicked off by Delhi government in 2019. Under the project, small ponds have been created in the floodplains that will collect water from overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season. It aims to create a reservoir between Palla and Wazirabad in Delhi to deal with water shortage in the capital.
Delhi having no source of water of its own is largely dependent on three sources for water – ground water, treated water and rain water. Recently, Delhi Jal Board chairperson Satyendar Jain had said they will ensure extraction of around 55 MGD water from the different WTP complexes.
Most of the Water Treatment Plants of Delhi Jal Board are located in floodplain zone where ground water gets recharged every year in the monsoon during floods, hence this extraction of water will be recharged every year without compromising ground water levels.
This water will be extracted through tube wells and mixed with regular supply water in the reservoirs. This exercise will ensure water is supplied at adequate quantity and pressure at the tail end especially during summers. Jain further instructed the department to maximize utilisation of existing/defunct tube wells for groundwater recharge so that rainwater can be harvested during monsoons.