Delhi's IGI airport operator will set up high-tech plants to recycle water and treat sewage to ensure "zero discharge" by next year.
"We have a master plan for zero discharge or reuse of water. The plan, to be implemented by 2010, would have a high- tech sewage treatment plant (STP) and water recycling plant of around eight million litres per day (MLD) capacity," a DIAL official said.
With the installation of the new STP, DIAL would be able to treat about 13 MLD of waste water, which would reduce our dependence on groundwater, the official added.
At present, Delhi airport consumes about 4.5 MLD and depends heavily on the groundwater for it daily needs.
The need for water is likely to increase in coming days as the construction work of a new integrated terminal has been going on and according to DIAL's master plan more such terminals would be constructed by 2036.
According to the master plan, hotels would also come up in the hospitality district near the airport, which would put a huge burden on the groundwater resources.
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DIAL would be supplied five MLD of water from Delhi Jal Board from next year, which would be increased in a phased manner to 20 MLD once Sonia Vihar treatment plant becomes operational.
"Since development of airport would be a continuous process and construction work and hotels would be consuming large volume of water, so it would be good for us if we do not depend on groundwater. Our plan of 'zero discharge' would help us in becoming self-dependent," the official reasoned.
At present, DIAL had set up an STP of five MLD capacity and treats waste water biologically.
The water thus cleaned is used for cleaning of toilets, construction work and for irrigation in horticulture units.
In order to maintain the groundwater table, DIAL has taken extensive rainwater harvesting measures with installation of around 300 rain water pits across the airport which are used to recharge the ground water table in an around the area.
These wells would recharge the ground water whenever there is a flow of rain water through the drains. According to an estimate, a total outflow of the rain water would be around 3,000 cusec at the airport.