Revival of 63 water bodies yet to start

With monsoon already here, the task will take some time

With the monsoon already here, the 63 water bodies identified by the Delhi Development Authority for revival may take some time in getting restored and about a year before they finally get a new lease of life.

Cost

The list includes water bodies in Dwarka, which are suffering from acute water crisis. According to experts, reviving one body of an average size could cost anywhere between Rs.5 lakh and Rs.5 crore.

The DDA has shared the list of these 63 major water bodies on its land with four NGOs and agencies — Braj Foundation, Samarthya, Forum for Organized Resources Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE), and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) — which have been selected for the task of reviving them.

Braj Foundation secretary Rajneesh Kapur said they have been provided a list of such water bodies and they will inspect them with the help of technical experts.

“The task of revival depends upon the size of the water body, the extent of encroachment, the level of the water table and catchment area. Our technical team is going to visit them and see how far they can be revived. With the monsoons already here, the task may take some time to start,” Mr. Kapur said.

Meeting

“Many corporate houses and public sector companies have shown interest. Once budgeting is done in a meeting with the DDA, we can start the work. But with the monsoons having arrived, we do not see that happening anytime soon,” he said.

INTACH’s Manu Bhatnagar said another meeting was going to take place in a few days to chalk out the budget and modalities of the entire revival plan.

Once the NGOs submit their revival plans, the DDA will allocate them the water bodies.