City of Lakes: Project by Delhi Government

Updated: 10/25/2024
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Last Updated: 26 Oct 2024

City of Lakes is an initiative by the Delhi Government to raise Ground water levels and augment water supply through the creation of these robust water reserves

39 large & 381 smaller water bodies already rejuvenated, as of March 2024[1]
-- Tender for 25 more was in process

IMPACT: Water table rose around new/revived lakes as per survey by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)[2]

~6 metres at Pappankalan
~4m at Nilothi
~3m at Najafgarh

Detail Achievements till June 2023

26 lakes (across 20 sites) and 381 smaller water bodies have been rejuvenated
-- At least 11 sites have dedicated Walking tracks

INNOVATIONS: Scientific Wetland with Active Biodigester (SWAB)[3][4]

The treatment of polluted water requires three — air, bacteria, and surface for bacterial growth

  • Aeration equipment are installed to maintain high dissolved oxygen levels in the water
  • The floated wetlands: a frugal innovative technology involves the plantation of wetland species such as Canna Indica and Cyperus papyrus. These plant species fix nitrogen and phosphorus, primary pollutants in wastewater.
  • Their roots grow in water and act as a medium for bacterial growth. This bacteria acts as an agent and fixes pollutants such as ammonia while consuming oxygen.

Revived Lakes

Let's take a look at these revived lakes up close…

1. Rajokri Lake[5]

Location: South West Delhi on the Gurgaon Delhi border
Size: This lake is 2 acres in size
Walking Track: Yes

Delhi government won Jal Shakti Ministry award for this lake project[6]

Ground Report by Dhruv Rathee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoaZsJJK4Kg

2. Pappan kalan lakes[7][8]

Location: Dwarka, West Delhi
Features 2 lakes, covering 11 acres
Capacity: 55 million gallons of water
Source: Pappankalan sewage treatment plant
Walking track: Yes

  • Currently, 20 million gallons of water is fed to the lake everyday
  • This lake is scientifically designed to carry out high-rate recharging of groundwater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjaZI38Gqo0

Since its conception, groundwater in the surrounding area has increased by 4 metres

3. Rohini Lakes[8:1]

Locattion: Rohini, North West Delhi.
Features 2 major lakes, spanning 17 acres.
Walking Track: Yes
Water Source: Rohini Wastewater Treatment Plant

30MGD Treated Wastewater daily fed to this lake

https://youtu.be/tMA_qVM2Bhg?si=gxX38i--VCxvvKUh

4. Nilothi Lakes[9]

Location: near Vikaspuri, West Delhi
Features 3 lakes, spanning 11 acres
Walking Track: Yes
Capacity: 255 million litres of water

25 million litres of treated water is being released into them every day

More details here: https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975932701814784

5. Iradatnagar Lake

Location: North West Delhi
Features 4 lakes, spanning 6 acres
Walking Track: No
Source: Rithala STP

More details here: https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975903689830400

6. Dwarka WTP Lake

Location: Najafgarh, West Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 4 acres.
Walking Track: No

More details: https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975879958446082

7. Timarpur Lake[8:2]

Location: Majnu Ka Tila, North East Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 6 acres.
Walking Track: Yes
Water Source: Timarpur Sewage Treatment Plant

6MGD Treated Wastewater daily released to this lake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWPB5P65Qa4

Location opposite Akshardham, East Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 9 acres.
Walking Track: No

9. Okhla STP Lake

Location near Batla House, Okhla, South East Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 10 acres.
Walking Track: No

10. Sonia Vihar

Location: near Majnu Ka Tila, North East Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 4 acres.
Walking Track: No

11. Sannoth Lake[11]

Location: near Narela, North West Delhi.
Features 1 lake, spanning 4 acres
Facilities: Playground for children, a picnic garden, a walkway, Chhath Puja Ghat, and a gym for the general public.
Trees like Neem, Semal, Champa, and Babool planted around Sannoth Lake
Walking Track: Yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRZWlZoRaQ

Ground Report by The Print: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flYsqEHdRw

12. Naraina Lake

Location: Naraina, West Delhi
Features 1 lake, spanning 5 acres
Walking Track: Yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Z5rR8li8U

13. Roshanara Lake[12]

Location: Old Delhi
Features 1 lake, spanning 4 acres
Walking Track: Yes

More details: https://twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975814162391040

14. Bhalaswa Lake

Location: Shalimar Bagh, North West Delhi
Size: One of the largest lakes of Delhi, is spread across 127 acres
Walking Track: Yes

More details/video: https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975512847814657

15. Smriti Van Lake

Location: near Vasant Kunj, South West Delhi
Size: This lake is spread across 6 acres
Walking Track: Yes

More here: https://twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628975482833371141

16. Paschim Vihar Lake[13]

Location: West Delhi
Size: This lake is spread across 2.5 acres
Walking Track: No
Source: Waste Treatment plant at Keshavpuram via a 4-km long pipeline

17. Tikri Khurd Lake[14][13:1]

Location: northern border of Delhi
Size: This lake is spread across 17 acres.
Walking Track: No
Source: STP at Narela

18. Satpulla Lake[14:1]

Location: Malviya Nagar, South Delhi
Size: This lake is spread across 5 acres
Walking Track: No

19. Sanjay Van Lake[15][16][17]

Location: Vasant Kunj, Delhi
Size: This lake is spread across a sprawling 51 acres.
Walking Track: Yes
Source: Vasant Kunj Wastewater Treatment Plant

More details/pics: https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1628974962290851840?s=20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSVseYhVYkY

20. Najafgarh STP Lake[18][19]

Location: in Najafgarh, West Delhi.
Features: 1 lake, spanning 4 acres.
Walking Track: No

Why City of Lakes?

i. Main Objective: Sustainable Augmentation of Water Supply

  • Delhi currently relies on fixed water share of rivers from its neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to fulfil its water requirements
  • With an ever-growing population and proportional increase in water demand, Delhi finds itself in a water deficit situation
  • Need of sustainable solution to this pertaining water problem led to Delhi City of lakes

ii. Local recreational spots for public

iii. Beautification of local area

Total Lakes/Water Bodies[20]

Delhi has 1045 Water bodies (including Lakes), according to Delhi Parks and Gardens Society NCT

  • 65 water bodies are owned by Delhi Government
  • 980 water bodies are directly/indirectly owned by Central Government**

Target - Phase 1:
A total of 600 lakes and waterbodies are being rejuvenated, while developing robust decentralised water infrastructure

References:

  1. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/capacity-of-water-treatment-plants-in-delhi-increased-marginally-in-2023-economic-survey-2917956 ↩︎

  2. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/111298154.cms ↩︎

  3. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/11/20/floating-wetlands-with-aeration/ ↩︎

  4. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/11/20/swab/ ↩︎

  5. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/10/19/rajokri-lake-revitalisation/ ↩︎

  6. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2020/aug/31/rajokri-lake-revived-by-delhi-government-wins-jal-shakti-ministry-award-2190558.html ↩︎

  7. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/10/19/pappankalan-lake-development/ ↩︎

  8. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/11/20/delhis-newest-lakes-are-fuelled-by-wastewater/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/3-artificial-lakes-at-nilothi-to-recharge-aquifers-using-treated-wastewater-from-stp-delhi-government-news-252529 ↩︎

  10. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2022/may/10/shahdara-drain-revival-takes-off-2451843.html ↩︎

  11. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/10/19/sannoth-lake/ ↩︎

  12. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/revival-of-mughal-lake-to-start-by-sept-end/articleshow/85193512.cms ↩︎

  13. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/djbs-city-of-lakes-project-for-50-water-bodies-in-the-capital-a-fresh-lease-of-life-by-the-year-end-7444891/ ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2019/aug/25/revival-of-delhis-satpula-lake-2023846.html ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2022/10/20/sanjay-van-lake/ ↩︎

  16. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-jal-board-sets-up-floating-wetlands-to-clean-lakes-7465308/ ↩︎

  17. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2021/aug/20/djb-cleans-sanjay-van-lake-under-rejuvenation-plan-2347289.html ↩︎

  18. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2023/06/06/najafgarh-lake/ ↩︎

  19. https://cityoflakesdelhi.com/2023/06/06/reimagining-najafgarh-a-serene-artificial-lake-brings-life-to-delhis-city-of-lakes/ ↩︎

  20. https://dpgs.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/DPGS/generic_multiple_files/wb_list_1045_1.pdf ↩︎

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