The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi water table depleting at an alarming rate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 10, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi water table depleting at an alarming rate

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, JULY 9. This summer if you felt miserable due to the perennial water shortage and drying up of taps, the future does not hold out much promise either. Instead, it appears even more bleak as Delhi finds itself on the list of States which have registered a "nose-dive" in their ground water levels.

In a report presented to the Union Ministry of Water Resources, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has listed those districts in the country which have witnessed a fall in their water level over the past 20 years (1983-2002) during the pre-monsoon period. All the listed districts have seen their water level drop by more than four metres with the trend showing no signs of abating and continuing at an alarming rate of over 20 cm per year.

In Delhi, six districts -- Central, New Delhi, North West, South, South West, and West - have been listed for registering a negative trend. According to the Director of Ecological Foundation, Sudhirendar Sharma, "the situation is just short of distressing for Delhi and the report has put into perspective the problem. The fall in water table is a cause for concern, more so because Delhi even during a good monsoon period is not able be recharge its ground water level."

Explaining the reasons behind the Capital's inability to recharge its water table, Mr Sharma said: "There are no good open areas or grasslands and the excessive construction in terms of houses and pavements has choked the rechargeable areas in the Capital."

What is also disturbing experts is the fact that the situation has remained so even after the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation amended building bye-laws in 1983, in which it made provisions for water harvesting through storing run-off water. While the provision was made mandatory for all new buildings having an area of 100 square metres or more, it has not yielded the desired result.

"The CGWB provides technical guidance including design of rainwater harvesting structures to various government agencies including Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Cantonment and also group housing societies, industries, educational institutions, hotels and non-government organisations. So far, CGWB has provided technical guidance of rainwater harvesting for 1,354 locations which include 458 government buildings and colonies," explained officials at CGWB speaking about how they are doing their bit to replenish the fast falling ground water table.

Noting that CGWB has also implemented 19 rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge projects in Delhi, officials maintain that work is on at raising the falling table. Adhering to the laws for setting up rainwater harvesting systems in government buildings, the Capital has seen 822 government buildings being installed with rooftop rainwater harvesting structures.

Also, a task force has been set up under the chairmanship of Director-General (Works), CPWD, to review and give suggestions on the kind of rooftop rainwater harvesting schemes that can be implemented in Central Government buildings.

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