Delhi Looks to Its Lakes to Secure Drinking Water
The Indian capital’s water problem — both too much and not enough — became strikingly evident during the most recent monsoon season.
Timarpur Lake in Delhi. The local government’s ‘City of Lakes’ project seeks to develop about 600 water bodies that will act as natural reservoirs to store excess rainfall as well as recycled water.
Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/BloombergTimarpur Lake in northern Delhi had been known for decades as a place for petty crime and the foul smell of sewage. It’s now getting ready to welcome visitors with a new amphitheater, children’s play area and fountains dotting the landscape.
The restoration is one of the first of hundreds that Delhi plans to secure its water supply and become less reliant on neighboring states. The local government’s ‘City of Lakes’ project seeks to develop about 600 water bodies that will act as natural reservoirs to store excess rainfall as well as recycled water. The landlocked metropolis, which encompasses capital New Delhi, once boasted more than 1,000 water bodies, but rapid urbanization has created a city more frequently associated with polluted air and deadly roads.