The Role of MAR in Sustainable Water Supply - A Case Study-IGI Airport, Delhi

Dr. D.K.Chadha*

Abstract

Artificial recharge and water conservation techniques for augmentation of groundwater resources are finding fast application in India to cope up with the increasing demands for the newly established infrastructures. The success however is found to depend on proper understanding of the site conditions and the identification of suitable methods for recharge.

Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Delhi is spread over an area of 22sq.km out of which, 3sq.km is paved area which is likely to be increased to 11sq.km. In view of the ongoing developments and no additional source being available, the additional demand for water resources became a constant, therefore water conservation and artificial recharge to aquifer systems become the best management options.

The area is hydro geologically very sensitive as the fresh water aquifers are underlain by saline aquifers below 80m depth and the Quaternary alluvial sediments comprising of sand, silt, and clay admixed with kankar. The depth to water level varies from 40 m to 45 m bgl and is declining at the rate of 0.6 m/yr; the Quaternary alluvial is underlain with quartizitic rock of pre Cambrian.

The runoff potential from paved and unpaved area is about 4.57 MCM, a part of which is being used for MAR through 62 recharge wells. It is proposed to construct 46 more recharge well with inverted filter to remove the suspended load. In addition to this the runoff from the roof tops of the three terminal buildings is 0.03MCM which is planned to be utilized through construction of 16 recharge wells. The MAR has thus helped in mitigating the perpetual water scarcity and improved upon the water quality besides checking the saline ingress from the surrounding saline aquifers.