Background

The Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub is a five-year project, launched in February 2019, to improve water security for a resilient future, funded by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

This Water Hub aims to adopt a systems approach in the delivery of sustainable water security within the four program sites: Colombia, Malaysia, Ethiopia, and India by the end of 5-year. The Water Hub of India, in which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and School of Planning & Architecture (SPA) Delhi are collaborating, has identified NCT of Delhi as the case study area.

The Hub’s activities are focused on promoting integrated sustainable development and management of water resources by using state-of-the-art technologies. Suggested research shall also engage in the creation of a framework in collaboration with the other collaboratories for planning, monitoring, and assessment of water using an integrated approach.

INDIA COLLABORATORY

India Water HUB’s Institutions

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)

Hydrology(Surface and Groundwater), GIS framework

School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Delhi

Socio-economics, Water value,
Policy and governance

Janya Collective LLP
New Delhi

Pilot Barapullah field support,
Citizen science

Roles of India Collaboratory

Objective: "Enhanced water security through governance and management of water resources for NCT of Delhi in an equitable and sustainable manner."

The HUB brings together an internationally leading team of researchers and is structured around six Work Streams (WS).

IIT Delhi: Hydrological modelling (Surface and Groundwater); Supply-Demand modelling and analysis; Water supply and Sewerage system analysis; Urban flood modelling; water quality monitoring and analysis; GIS framework development.

SPA Delhi: Socio-economic analysis of water in urban setup (NCT of Delhi); water policy and governance; values of water.

IIT Delhi's Research Priorities

To achieve the water security in NCT of Delhi, IIT Delhi team is developing and demonstrating a four-level systems’ approach.

  • Yamuna basin up to Etawah
  • NCR/NCT of Delhi
  • Barapullah basin (Pilot area)
  • IIT Delhi campus (Micro Level)

These four scales have been identified because, the raw surface water supply to NCT of Delhi comes from upper Yamuna basin, groundwater supply comes from aquifers of NCT of Delhi. Barapullah pilot area has been identified to analyze the supply demand dynamics by evaluating the water related infrastructure to identify multiple/alternate solutions for the stakeholders to choose the appropriate one. Simultaneously, water related risks shall also be addressed. This framework is being tested on a micro-level at IIT Delhi campus.

IIT Delhi's Action Plans

The actions taken to fulfil the objective

Water availability in Yamuna basin up to Etawah
  • Current water availability assessment using hydrological modelling including environmental flows.
  • Current status of water pollution.
  • Projected (Climate Change) availability in Upper Yamuna basin up to Etawah.
NCT of Delhi
  • Water Audit.
  • Groundwater system analysis.
  • Evaluation of water supply and treatment facilities.
  • Water quality analysis.
  • Economic analysis of water services.
Barapullah Basin (Pilot Area)
  • Modeling and analysis of: Water supply network, sewerage network, storm drains and urban flooding, water quality.
  • Formulation of GIS Framework.
  • Real-Time Urban Flood Warning System for Pilot Area.
  • Economic analysis of water services .
IIT Delhi Campus (Micro-Level)
  • Mini-township water security (water supply, sewerage network, storm drains and urban flooding, water quality).
  • Economic analysis of water services.
  • Formulation of GIS Framework.

Decision Support
TOOLS

Knowledge and Information

Serve research outputs in user friendly manner for stakeholders. Scales at Yamuna (up to Etawah), NCT of Delhi, Barapullah and IIT Delhi campus.

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Yamuna
POLLUTION

With NMCG

GIS based framework for monitoring and evaluation of present/planned interventions in Delhi Urban Water System carried out under "Mailey Se Nirmal Yamuna NGT Order".

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Climate Change
INFORMATION

Information Tool

One-stop window to climate related information focussing on climate change which provides access to country data (India). Summarizes key climate and climate-related information.

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Early Warning
SYSTEM

Barapullah EWS

Generate scenarios for reducing the flooding in a sequential manner for ease of implementation. Real-time flood awareness system using citizen science and remote sensing.

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Our Outreach

Community Outreach Materials (Videos, blogs....).

15
August-2022

"IITD आब प्रहरी" Mobile app for flood reporting

In order to address the water logging issues in urban areas, IIT Delhi has developed a mobile application based on the citizen science approach.

In this application, communities and individuals are facilitated to report the real-time incidence of flooding, in and around their surroundings, by capturing the water logging information and sending it to a central server.

10
November-2020

Challenges faced in the Barapullah Basin, NCT of Delhi

Situated on the western bank of the Yamuna River, in the southern part of the NCT of Delhi, the Barapullah Basin is the pilot region for the India Collaboratory team. Lying in the floodplain of the Yamuna River, the total catchment area of the basin is 376.27 km2, with large, urbanised areas.

There is a clear inadequacy in three water networks – water supply, sewage systems, and storm water management, demonstrating that the water sources in Delhi could be unsafe. Some of the main risks to water security identified by the team are population growth, climate variability, poverty, and urbanisation.

10
November-2020

HUB@IITD contribution to Smart Campus Initiatives@IIT Delhi

The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) is a pilot region for the Barapullah Basin and NCT of Delhi. Covering an area of around 320 acres, the campus serves as a mini township model suitable for testing various water components and frameworks that could be replicated for larger regions.

Some initiatives implemented on campus over the past two decades include wetland conservation, sewage treatment plants, and rainwater harvesting, amongst many others. The campus also serves as an ideal location for testing drainage systems, with hydraulic modelling contributing to analysis of the landmass capacity to absorb rainfall, showing thus far that with increased urbanisation the landmass capacity is ultimately reduced.

HUB@IIT Delhi Team

Meet dynamic, motivated, passionate, and positive team members.

Dhanya C.T.

Principal Investigator

A.K. Gosain

Co PI

Rakesh Khosa

Co PI

Kirity Kumar Roy

Ex Manager

Sandhya Rao

Researcher

Prabhakar Shukla

Researcher

Maya Krishnan

Manager

Umer J Banday

Researcher

Sayantan Samui

Researcher

Elangovan V

Researcher

Dinesh Kumar

PhD Scholar

Harsha Yadav

PhD Scholar

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