Hauz-i-Shamsi, the 13th-century reservoir located in Mehrauli, might get a permanent solution to its long-standing problem of polluted water. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) plans to build a new sewage treatment plant (STP) in sector A of Vasant Kunj — 2.5 km away from Hauz-i-Shamsi — which will provide treated water directly to the water body, said a DJB official.
For over a decade, the residents of wards 6 and 8 who live near Hauz-i-Shamsi have complained of polluted drinking water, breeding grounds for mosquitoes — all attributed to the stagnant water in the reservoir, made worse by sewage water entering the reservoir. Since 2015, at least three attempts have been made by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to clean Hauz-i-Shamsi but none worked.
Protected by the ASI, the reservoir was built by Delhi Sultanate ruler Shamsuddin Iltutmish on account of a dream of the prophet who had led him to discover the water body, according to a 20th century listing by the ASI. In its exhaustive volumes on Delhi buildings, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) lists that Hauz-i-Shamsi, also known as Shamsi talab, once covered over 100 hectares. But with time, the talab seems to have lost its past glory as it has shrunk to 7.05 acres, said an ASI official, who asked not to be named.
The first attempt to clean Shamsi Talab was made in 2015, after which Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), under the supervision of ASI, cleaned it in 2023, and then again in February this year. A recent spot check by HT, however, showed that the water quality had started to deteriorate again and the water level had gone down significantly compared to February.
The proposal sent by DJB to National Water Mission on April 9 this year, as seen by HT, mentions“ construction of a one million gallons per day sewage treatment plant (STP) along with other associated works in sector A Vasant Kunj to feed treated water to the Shamsi Talab in Mehrauli.”
“There already exists a sewage treatment plant under DJB where the new treatment plant will be established. The old one has not been functional for over 10 years. The new one will treat sewage water coming from Vasant Kunj and send it to Hauz-i-Shamsi,” said a DJB official.
DJB has approached National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to carry out the installation of the new STP and to overlook the process of supplying treated water to Hauz-i-Shamsi.
“Due process to gain approval started on Thursday. It will take some time but once it’s done, the Shamsi Talab problem will be solved for good,” said an official from NMCG, who asked not to be named.
Merely two months after it was cleaned up by ASI and NGO SEEDS, sludge had started to accumulate on the water. Heaps of garbage, perhaps dumped by nearby residents, are back on the banks of the reservoir.
Lalit Gupta (44), a resident of ward 8 of Mehrauli and general secretary of the United Shamsi Talab Residents’ Welfare Association, said, “We have tried to increase awareness among residents here, and urged them to stop dumping garbage here. We helped ASI add a fence around the water body to discourage people from throwing waste here but some people continue to do so. This has exacerbated the issue.”
Gupta said that occasional clean-up can’t fix the problem. “Regular supply of treated water is important for stagnant water. Hauz-i-Shamsi is a heritage structure and DJB’s plan will be an important step in conserving it,” he said.
Source: https://tinyurl.com/mreex3zp
