Tuesday, September 4, 2012

DMRC cleans roads with Groundwater (Hindustan Times 05 September 2012)




Delhi Metro has drawn flak for allegedly extracting groundwater, without any permission, and even using
it for cleaning the roads around the construction site near Mandi House. Experts suggest that recycled water should be used. Lot of earth is dug out for the construction of another underground station. It is transported to different locations in trucks at night
Jitender Tyagi, DMRC's director (works) said.
In the morning, water from same source is used for cleaning the roads around the construction site and the area around the Mandi House round about. Saying that the bore well is necessary, Tyagi said, "The bore well will be removed once the construction is over." He claims that the bore well is useful to de-water the area. De-watering being the process of removing groundwater from the soil or sub-surface to ensure that the underground construction activity remains dry.
New Delhi Municipal Council's (NDMC) spokesperson said the civic body had not given any permission for digging the bore well. "Ultimately we need to use this water somewhere," Tyagi added.
Pointing out that this is a clear violation of the laws, environmentalist Manoj Misra said, "That the bore well is needed for de-watering or that it is temporary, is no excuse. Also, clean ground water can be and needs to be used for drinking purposes only and not for cleaning the roads. The roads can be cleaned after the water has been treated at a plant,"Misra added.
When Tyagi was questioned as to why DMRC was not using re-cycled water for cleaning the roads, Tyagi said, "We will consider this suggestion for the future."

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