MCD plans to revive lost Mughal-era pond in Delhi for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge

A representative image of a lake in DelhiA centuries-old pond where Mughal emperor Jahandar Shah, son of Bahadur Shah, camped during a battle for the throne in 1712 could hold clues to an opportunity for water conservation in Delhi, with the MCD planning its restoration for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.

The Kishan Das Talab, located along the historic Delhi-Agra route, is believed to have occupied a low-lying stretch behind the campus of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), and extending towards the Okhla Waste-to-Energy plant, according to a research paper by Dr Aqil Ahmed, member secretary of the MCD Heritage Cell.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to approach three government agencies -- the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), CRRI and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which owns land in the area, -- to share its survey findings on the lost water body and urge them to consider the possibility of restoring it.

The proposal comes amid mounting pressure on Delhi's groundwater resources. While restoring the pond alone would not resolve the city's water crisis, a scientifically designed revival could help retain rainwater and recharge groundwater, depending on the site's hydrology and the quality of the water entering it, officials said.