NEW DELHI: To reduce the groundwater extraction at large private properties, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will reach out to the owners of farmhouses and encourage them to use treated water for horticulture purposes.
DJB on Wednesday issued a notice on the policy of supplying treated water from all waste water treatment plants to farmhouses for horticulture and other such uses. The move comes after a recent meeting of water minister Satyendar Jain with DJB officials, where it was decided to supply treated water to farmhouses in the areas like Satbari, Sultanpur and Jaunpur, which are currently extracting groundwater for horticultural need.
According to DJB, more than 15 million gallons per day (MGD) of water will be supplied to farmhouses so that tubewells can be closed and no groundwater is extracted.
Under the scheme, DJB will bear the cost of laying pipelines to provide the treated water at the lawns. There will also be no restriction on the quantity of treated water supplied. An applicant will pay a monthly fixed tariff of Rs 5,000 per acre, apart from a one-time infrastructure cost of Rs 10,000 per acre. An application can be submitted at the DJB headquarters.
The Delhi government is trying to motivate people to use treated waste water for non-potable purposes like gardening, washing floors and flushing. DJB is currently supplying 940MGD of water as against the demand of 1,140MGD in the national capital.
