Wetland Authority of Delhi (WAD) has been in the continuous hoop to improve the quality and sanitation for the water bodies situated in and nearby Delhi. In their pursuit to make the wetlands cleaner and suitable for the life of aquatic organisms, the WAD has listed out 119 waterbodies that will soon be developed as ‘model ponds’. The listed waterbodies have been found in the villages located in eight districts of Delhi.
The authorities are working to make sure that the newly developed wetlands will be meeting the certified criteria/ parameters for it to be called a ‘model pond’ in the future. The parameters decided are no foul smell, the existence of aquatic life, and the level of dissolved oxygen to be more than 3 micrograms/m3. The 119 spots will be developed under the land-owning agencies.
The listed ponds will be restored at the village level into model ponds. Other than the smell, aquatic life, and oxygen levels, the authorities have mentioned their desire to introduce turtles in the remodeled pond. The authority will also work to attain optimal quality for surface water and use it as another indicator for ‘model pond’.
Besides a quality pond, the RWA and Panchayats at the village will form a committee to look after the protection of model ponds and their condition regularly. It will be the duty of the constituted committee to ensure proper regulations of sewage discharge, and waste dumping is being followed by the users of the pond. Certain restrictions will be imposed regarding the garbage disposal system and the spread of aquatic invaders, like water hyacinth. A routine of periodic removal of waste and biomass will be put under the care of the committee, who is to follow the guidelines appropriately.
The remodeling of the pond will use recycled treated water instead of groundwater, as the purpose of the whole drill is the conservation and protection of water. The wastewater will be treated with natural means before delivering it to the remodeled waterbody. The rainwater will also become a source of water for the ‘model ponds’ as the methods of conservation of rainwater will be considered in the whole process.
Among the 119 waterbodies, 68 are present in the South-west district while the lowest number of waterbodies is present in Central Delhi, with the number being one.
