India, Aug. 29 -- Delhi's water infrastructure may no longer be planned as separate systems for supply, sewage and drainage, with MPD-2047 proposing an integrated "urban water cycle" in which the three are treated as interconnected infrastructure. The master plan identifies long-term water security as a major focus and says water supply, wastewater management and stormwater drainage should be treated as interconnected "water-linked infrastructures". It also defines Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) as an approach that brings water supply, wastewater, stormwater and groundwater management into urban planning.

Under the proposed framework, Delhi's future water management would combine conservation, recycling, groundwater recharge and stormwater management. The plan proposes restricting water requirements in land-pooling areas and LDA developments to 40 gallons per capita per day, while regeneration and transit-oriented development schemes would not receive additional water beyond prescribed norms. The plan also proposes maximum reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable purposes, including horticulture, irrigation, road cleaning, firefighting and construction. New drainage networks would be designed to direct stormwater towards identified groundwater-recharge sites, while measures such as bioswales, rain gardens, vegetated filters and pervious stormwater drains could be adopted.

Experts said such integration could help cities move away from treating water supply, sewage and flooding as isolated problems. "The concept is sound, but implementation will be difficult because water supply, sewerage, drainage, roads and floodplain management involve different agencies. Unless they work through one coordinated system, the integrated approach could remain largely on paper," said Sanjay Kumar, an Environment activist. The MPD further proposes groundwater recharge through water bodies, parks, gardens, flyovers, city roads and Yamuna flood-basin areas, while calling for GIS-based drainage mapping.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.