The TrickyScribe: In an attempt to laying the roadmap for water security, diverse stakeholders came together on a common platform to deliberate on the issue of Najafgarh drain.
Titled ‘Transforming the Najafgarh Basin,’ the workshop, organized under the joint auspices of DLF Foundation, India Water Partnership and INTACH, identified the gaps and challenges in rehabilitation of Najafgarh basin.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Urban Development, Rao Inderjit Singh said, “Conservation of water is essential and has become a concern of utmost importance for the future generation.”
“We are sitting on time bomb. Government alone cannot rejuvenate Najafgarh basin. We all have to come together as the representative of Gurgaon to solve this menace. Similar initiatives should be taken up in future to engage people’s participation and make the city a more liveable place,” he said.
Col. Prakash Tewari, Executive Director, DLF foundation addressing the gathering.
Executive Director, DLF Foundation, Prakash Tewari shared DLF Foundation’s Gurgaon Rejuvenation Project and presented the various initiatives under the same. He said, “An integrated approach is required to transform the Najafgarh Jheel. Not only will it lead to the creation of a smart city but also its connectivity will improve.”
He said DLF will come up with a whitepaper with all the strategies penned for transforming Najafgarh Basin within a fortnight and present the same to the state government. ”
Environment Secretary, Delhi, Keshav Chandra said, “At no cost shall the untreated sewage be drained into water bodies. Emphasizing the need watershed management, he pressed fort proper maintenance of traditional village ponds.
Sahibi River
Najafgarh drain is a natural channel known as ‘Sahibi River’ that originates in the Aravali hills in the Alwar – Rewari region of Rajasthan and Haryana. The drain traverses a length of 41 km before meeting Yamuna in the NCR.
Due to increasing urbanization Najafgarh drain, however, is currently the largest sewage carrying drain in Delhi-NCR region. It discharges as much as 2,000 MLD of waste water into Yamuna. Of which, 70% remains untreated.
Due to infrastructure development in the catchment area of the drain, the runoff generated from the region has increased manifold. This has led to over-utilization of the drain, the effect of which is exacerbated by poor management of the drains itself. The floods have resulted in severe drinking water and soil contamination in the region.
