Delhi L-G, CM Kejriwal and Deputy CM Sisodia pay a joint visit to Aravalli forest area

On Sunday, June 12, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia paid a visit to the abandoned pits of Bhati mines in Aravalli forest to inspect and explore the prospect of replenishing Delhi's groundwater by harvesting rainwater.

LG Saxena, Kejriwal, and Sisodia directed authorities to submit a Master Plan within 30 days for developing the large abundant pits therein, as well as reservoirs for collecting rain, flood, and stormwater, recharging groundwater, and transforming the area into a world-class eco-tourism destination. 

The Delhi Chief Minister's office tweeted today saying, "Hon'ble CM Shri @ArvindKejriwal along with Hon'ble @LtGovDelhi Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena & Hon’ble Dy. CM Shri @msisodia visited the abandoned pits of Bhati Mines in the Aravalli forest area to explore the possibility of recharging Delhi's groundwater by harvesting rainwater."

LG Saxena, Kejriwal and Sisodia were all in agreement on the idea of developing 14 pits -- 4 large and 10 small that'll possess a holding capacity of well over 800 million gallons of water, which will go a long way in recharging city's groundwater.

As a result, it was determined to set up a master plan for the redevelopment and rejuvenation of the Asola-Bhati mining area.

Plan to make wildlife trails, cycle tracks, walking tracks, bird-watching spots and ropeways in the forest area 

According to government data, low-lying inhabited areas outside the forest reserve experience frequent waterlogging and floods, with roughly 35% of the water coming from the higher mining area itself. Apart from that, during the monsoons, the main drains just outside the forest region were prone to overflowing.

Officials were told to build embankments and invent means to pressure lift the gathered water to keep it from running down the slopes. The water will be channelled from the drains and low-lying regions to the pits in the forest.

The officials also directed the forest authorities to plant one lakh flowering trees, that includes -- the moringa, chembu, jamun and special varieties of bamboo.
The eco-tourism component of the master plan will include provisions for creating butterfly trails, wildlife trails, cycle tracks, walking tracks, bird-watching spots and ropeways amongst others.

(With Inputs from ANI)