Delhi Development Authority Unveils Rs 76 Lakh Plan to Revive Mundka Water Bodies
The Delhi Development Authority has crafted a detailed blueprint to breathe new life into four water bodies located in Mundka village. This ambitious rejuvenation project carries an estimated price tag of seventy-six lakh rupees. Officials aim to complete all restoration work by October of this year. The authority formally presented this plan to the National Green Tribunal, which is currently overseeing the case.
Legal Action Spurs Restoration Efforts
This initiative follows a petition filed by Jeet Singh Yadav, a resident of Mundka village. Yadav approached the tribunal back in 2022, seeking legal protection for the local ponds and water bodies. In response, the National Green Tribunal issued a directive on November 18 last year. The order instructed the Delhi Development Authority to prepare and submit a comprehensive action plan. This plan needed to outline specific restoration measures, a detailed budget, a clear timeline, and identify a nodal officer responsible for monitoring the project's progress.
Detailed Plans for Each Water Body
The authority's report, dated January 3, 2026, provides a breakdown for each of the four sites. The plans address unique challenges faced by each body of water.
Takiya Talab: This pond faces a significant problem with wastewater entering through a stormwater drain, severely degrading its water quality. Due to its poor condition, experts from IIT-Delhi conducted a thorough study. Based on their technical recommendations, a rejuvenation plan has been formulated and approved. The solution involves installing a specialized sewage treatment plant that uses a moving bed biofilm reactor to clean the incoming wastewater.
The restoration work for Takiya Talab is extensive. It includes pumping out all the polluted water, followed by a complete desilting of the pond bed. To enhance community access and aesthetics, the plan calls for building a walkway around the perimeter. The authority will also install solar-powered lights, place benches for visitors, erect protective fencing, and plant native vegetation. The target completion date for this pond is October 15.
Second Water Body: This site currently exists as vacant land adjacent to a well-maintained park. A key issue here is the lack of a natural water source or catchment area. IIT-Delhi has been appointed as a consultant to devise a suitable rejuvenation strategy for this plot. The authority has already cleared encroachments from around the area. Work is scheduled for completion by October 31.
Third and Fourth Water Bodies: Both of these ponds rely solely on seasonal stormwater inflow during rains. For the third water body, maintenance work is already in progress. This includes the construction of a boundary wall, and officials report no existing encroachment issues. The work here is likely to be finished within the current month.
The fourth water body has reportedly already been developed. Authorities state it has been successfully cleaned and desilted, marking a completed phase of the broader restoration project.
Overcoming Encroachment Challenges
The report also addresses the issue of land encroachment, which had affected two of the water bodies. The authority confirmed that encroachments have been successfully removed from one site. For the other affected water body, the process of freeing up the land is currently underway and making progress. This clearance is a crucial first step enabling the subsequent restoration work to begin.
