Noida to revive, beautify 14 drains to preserve groundwater
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, has made a detailed project report on the beautification and revival of all 14 drains that pass through various residential and industrial areas. The beautification involves repairing the banks of the irrigation drain and plantation of fragrant trees. The authority will spend Rs 200 crore on this project that involves carrying out dense tree plantation on the banks of the irrigation drain.
The Noida authority has decided to beautify and revive its 17km irrigation drain that passes through the city and also clean 13 other smaller drains that are connected with to this main drain, which empties into river Yamuna near Sector 150/168.
The irrigation drain that cuts Noida into two was earlier meant for irrigation purposes for agricultural land in 82 villages. But since 1976, when Noida was established, the drain that once used to carry clean water became a carrier of sewage.
“We believe that if we revive the irrigation drain by trapping its sewage and cleaning the same, we can stop dumping our waste water into the Hindon and the Yamuna. By doing this, we will also clean 13 other smaller drains because they all finally merge into the main drain,” said Samakant Srivastava, senior project engineer, Noida authority.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, has made a detailed project report on the beautification and revival of all 14 drains that pass through various residential and industrial areas. The beautification involves repairing the banks of the irrigation drain and plantation of fragrant trees. The authority will spend Rs 200 crore on this project that involves carrying out dense tree plantation on the banks of the irrigation drain.
The irrigation drain originates at the Delhi-Noida border near Sector 11 before finally merging into the Yamuna at Sector 150/168.
“As it carries sewage from East Delhi’s Ashok Nagar, Kalyanpuri and other areas, it stinks badly. After our five sewage treatment plants became functional, we stopped dumping any sewage into any drain. But now we aim to trap the sewage from Delhi and ensure only cleaned water goes into drains,” Srivastava said.
There are 82 villages in Noida that depend on groundwater for drinking water. Villages, which are not connected with the main sewer line of Noida, also dump sewage into drains.
Srivastava said cleaning of the irrigation drain will resolve many water related issues, including groundwater contamination and river pollution.
“We will not concrete the surface of the drain. We will put coarse sand on the surface so that it further filters the sewage water. We will do it in such a manner that only filtered water goes into the ground and stops contaminating the groundwater,” Srivastava said.