Delhi surface drains-a beginning has been made to clean up
Delhi has three major surface drains. Najafgarh plus Supplementary, Shahadra and Barapullah. Najafgarh traverses a length of 40 km from Dwaraka to Wazirabad with a catchment area of 374 sqkm. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, almost
70 tributary drains join it and total 17,288 industries from across the Capital pour their effluents into it.
Apparently, all the major drains of Delhi have not undergone a comprehensive desilting and cleaning process since their inception. Delhi's drainage system was laid in 1976 by the Irrigation and Flood Department, taking into account the urbanisation limits
upto 1981.
Ayala Water and Ecology Limited has now been engaged by the Delhi Government to spruce up an 8-Km stretch of the supplementary drain that joins Najafgarh drain and finally falls into the Yamuna.
Ayala specializes in phytoremediation and constructive wetlands. This involves planting specific shrubs and trees, besides placing elements like gravels and limestone, which will absorb chemicals and pollutants from homes and factories. This will be
an inexpensive, natural and benign method of cleaning the river.
Besides the floating and sedimentary sludge and solid waste will be collected and treated suitably so that it can be recycled in the form of bricks or bio gas.