DDA to use soil bio-technology to meet water shortage

New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority has decided to use an innovative 'soil bio-technology', developed by IIT-Bombay, to meet the water requirement in Dwarka area.

"The project proposes using soil bio-technology treatment of bioremediated water, sourced from Palam drain. The technology will allow the remediated water from the drain, high in biochemical oxygen demand (BoD), to be treated and

make it potable," a senior DDA official said.

Bioremediation is a waste management technique that involves the use of organisms to remove or neutralise pollutants from a contaminated site.

BoD (biochemical oxygen demand) is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. And can be used as a gauge of the effectiveness of waste-water treatment plants.

The pilot project would cost Rs 3.75 crore, on 5000 square metres of land, and was likely to deliver water by the end of December this year and 5 million litres of water per day by January 2015, which is equivalent to supply from 50 tubewells, the official said.

DDA Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar along with a team of engineers and senior officers today assessed the proposal and the urban body has decided to take up the project.

The soil bio-technology is already being used by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and several other places in Maharashtra.

The DDA will jointly execute the project with INTACH and Vision Earthcare, a company of the 'Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship' at IIT-Bombay, Kumar said. As part of the project, a team of DDA officials will visit the sites in Mumbai, which are using the technology. He said, also, water processing equipments would not be visible and thus the top layer of the land can be landscaped and developed into a green area.

DDA will provide the land for the project, available near the power drain, Kumar said, adding after the Mumbai visit, a tripartite agreement will be effected between the INTACH, Vision Earthcare and the DDA.