Nearly three years after the devastating 2023 floods, the Delhi government is working on a plan to channel excess monsoon water from the Yamuna into abandoned mining pits at Bhatti Mines and six designated floodplain sites, the Hindustan Times reported .
The twin objective is to reduce flood risk and boost groundwater recharge across the capital.
The irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department has identified 15 mine pits at Bhatti Mines in south Delhi, a legacy of quarrying operations that ran from the 1960s to the 1980s.
According to a study by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), these pits can collectively hold 5,200 MLD or 5,200,000 cubic metres of water per day.
"Japan uses floodwater diversion techniques, but developing massive underground tanks is expensive and may not be suitable for a river like the Yamuna, which carries excessive silt during the monsoon. Two options studied include storing water in floodplains and Bhatti Mines areas. These can help create a buffer and improve flood management," a senior government official said.
The department has also mapped six floodplain locations along the Yamuna's banks with a combined storage capacity of around 13,707,500 cubic metres.
The largest site near Mayur Vihar alone spans over 3.12 million square metres.
However, the plan carries a significant caveat against using polluted water, given the area's highly fractured quartzite terrain where the aquifer lies exposed.
Officials said desilting and water quality monitoring stations would be essential before any recharge work begins.
Yamuna activist Bhim Singh Rawat flagged concerns over the proposal. "It has the risk of contamination of the groundwater if polluted water reaches the point. Moreover, it will require pumping water, which may be energy-intensive. The water should be flowing from the ridge towards the river, not against it," he said.
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