National Workshop on ‘Water Conservation & Pollution’ organized at Manav Rachna International University

  • The workshop saw the announcement of the ‘Haryana Water Council or Forum’ – a state level multi-stakeholder platform
  • A detailed report on the pre-feasibility study on revival of Badhkal Lake conducted by Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) jointly with District Administration, scientists, and academicians was presented at the workshop

IMG_2335The Indian National Committee of International Association of Hydrogeologists (INC – IAH) and Manav Rachna International University jointly organized a national workshop on “Water Conservation and Pollution” at the MRIU campus today. The workshop dealt with studies related to water pollution and ways for water conservation in all aspects to develop goals and programs that will assure progress in this field. 43 quality research papers were presented by eminent scientists and academicians from IIT Kharagpur, Kolkata and IIT Chennai, among others. Among the eminent dignitaries present on the occasion were Dr. K B Biswas, Chairman-Central Ground Water Board; Dr. D K Chadha, President GHS & Former-Chairman, CGWB; Dr. DipankarSaha, Sec. INC-IAH; Dr. Prashant Bhalla, President, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions; Ar. Jit Sharma, Chief Town Planner, Sahara Prime City; Dr. M MKathuria, Trustee, MREI; Dr. M K Soni, ED & Dean, FET; Ar. Jatinder Saigal, Dean-FPA, MRIU; and Dr. SaritaSachdeva, HoD, Biotechnology, MRIU among other senior academicians from institutions across the country.

This workshop will go down in the history of the city of Faridabad with the release of two important documents:

  1. On Ground water Issues and Challenges of Haryana
  2. Report – a Pre-feasibility study on Revival of Badkhal Lake at Faridabad.

Badkhal Lake is one of the most prominent water bodies in Faridabad. The declining level of water bodies and seepage losses are responsible for deterioration of water level of Badkhal Lake which has shrunken about 25-30% of its original volume. Considering the historical factor and the tourism, revitalization of Badkhal Lake is very essential and it may be treated as National Development Activity.

In this regard, a taskforce comprising officials from Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) and Global Hydrogeological Solutions (GHS) with the support of the District Administration had been constituted. MRIU and GHS worked on the pre-feasibility study for the revival of the Badhkal Lake. The findings of this pre-feasibility study were presented to Sh. Aditya Dahiya, (IAS) Additional Deputy Commissioner- Faridabad on behalf of the District Administration.

While presenting the pre-feasibility report, Dr. D K Chadha informed: “The hydrogeological and geophysical survey has provided the information on the extensiveness of the different aquifer zones and the thickness of the overburden, overlying the alluvial sediments. The depth to water, water table contour maps with the groundwater flow direction have indicated the movement of the groundwater pointing out that the heavy groundwater extraction in the surrounding areas is causing out flow from the lake area. In order to check the outflow, using the geophysical and hydrogeological data, it is recommended to construct four sub surface dykes, which will help in recovering the ground water levels over the years”.

It is estimated that 1.83 MCM of treated wastewater is required to fill the lake upto 6m depth covering an area of 30.43ha. The use of treated water will have the advantage of preventing the lake from getting silted. After filling up the lake to the desired depth, the excessive treated water in the subsequent year can be used for secondary purposes to mitigate the total requirement.

“The above options for water resources to revive the lake also meets the requirements of the smart city which provides for the recycling of the wastewater and water conservation practices”, informed Dr. Prashant Bhalla, President, MREI.  He added: “Genesis of a smart city is to provide the highest quality of human life. And all these endeavors towards preserving water are just a step in this direction”.

At the conclusion of the workshop, a road map for Haryana to conserve its water resources with recommendations for efficient utilization of water in cities and towns across Haryana was also presented. This model can be replicated across the country.With this in mind, the ‘Haryana Water Council or Forum’ has been constituted. This forum will be a state level multi-stakeholder platform, in response to an increasing concern about water issues amongst the communities.   The mission of this forum would be to promote awareness, build commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, including the highest decision-making level, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on earth.  This is essential to bridge water divides among various sectors and the present and future generations.

 

The workshop was attended by about several persons including scientists, engineers, academia, representative of RWA, & representatives of all affiliated sectors.