Water harvesting in big MCD parks

NEW DELHI: Bothered by the puddles that form in your local park every time it rains or the gardener waters plants? The MCD has come up with a solution. It is looking at installing water harvesting systems in all its parks that are larger than 5 acres to ensure that the runoff water is trapped and put to good use — especially in areas with depleting water tables.
Parched localities like Saket, Vasant Kunj, Sarita Vihar and Greater Kailash — where the groundwater level has hit rock bottom — are likely to be the first beneficiaries of the move.
"Groundwater extraction is banned in these areas, so we have to use tankers. But elsewhere in Delhi, groundwater is regularly pumped out to irrigate parks because the use of treated water is prohibited. Harvesting seems to be the only option to recharge the depleting water sources," said a senior MCD official.
The water trapped through this process will be used for watering plants in parks. While the civic agency wants to install harvesting systems in all its 100 parks that are larger than 5 acres, initially 24 parks have been chosen. "We will take up two parks in every zone. About Rs 1.40 lakh will be required for each park. This will be sourced from the plan funds," said MCD councillor Brij Mohan Sharma.
Senior MCD officials, however, averred that a survey should be conducted for identifying areas that required water harvesting. "There is no need to spend money on water harvesting in areas where the groundwater table is reasonably high.
Such localities include certain parts of east Delhi and other areas close to the riverbed. Water harvesting is neither possible, nor required there," said the official.
There is also talk of roping in residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) for financing water harvesting systems in colonies where parks are being maintained by the residents. "Several RWAs have approached us for permission to maintain their colony parks. The more affluent can even pay for the harvesting systems or raise the money from private sources," said the official.