Delhi’s public parks may soon become a testing ground for data-driven water reuse, as the city’s land-owning and planning authority moves to introduce real-time monitoring of treated wastewater across nearly 100 major green spaces. The initiative is aimed at improving how sewage treatment plants within parks operate, ensuring treated water is safely and efficiently reused for irrigation, landscaping, and replenishing on-site water bodies.
Officials familiar with the plan said an Expression of Interest has been issued to technology and infrastructure firms to design and deploy automated systems that track both the quality and quantity of treated wastewater generated by park-based treatment facilities. The move comes amid rising pressure on urban water resources and growing emphasis on circular water use in Indian cities. At the core of the proposal is continuous digital tracking of key treatment indicators such as organic load, suspended solids, acidity levels, and daily output volumes. Real-time dashboards would allow centralised supervision of multiple plants, enabling early detection of performance gaps and quicker maintenance interventions. Urban infrastructure experts say this could significantly reduce the risk of untreated or poorly treated water entering soil systems or nearby drains.
Beyond monitoring, the authority is also evaluating suitable wastewater treatment technologies for smaller decentralised plants with capacities of up to 100 kilolitres per day. These facilities are typically embedded within neighbourhood and district parks and are designed to handle local sewage flows. The assessment framework will consider land availability, energy use, lifecycle costs, sludge handling, and environmental impact, reflecting a shift away from one-size-fits-all infrastructure solutions. Urban planners note that decentralised treatment systems, when properly managed, can play a critical role in building climate resilience. By reusing water close to where it is generated, cities reduce dependence on freshwater supply networks and cut the energy footprint associated with long-distance pumping. In a water-stressed city like Delhi, such measures also help stabilise irrigation supply during peak summer months.
The programme is expected to support the revival of ponds and water features located within park premises, many of which suffer from seasonal drying or poor water quality. Treated wastewater, if consistently monitored and maintained to standards, can provide a reliable source for these water bodies while reducing discharge into drains. Delhi’s green estate spans tens of thousands of acres, including public parks, biodiversity zones, and river floodplains. The 100 parks identified for the first phase already host treatment plants commissioned over the past few years, but officials acknowledge that operational oversight has varied. Centralised digital monitoring is expected to bring uniformity and transparency to plant performance.
If implemented effectively, the initiative could set a precedent for how urban green spaces across India manage water in an era of climate uncertainty. By combining technology, decentralised infrastructure, and ecosystem-sensitive planning, Delhi’s parks may evolve from passive landscapes into active components of the city’s water resilience strategy.
Delhi Parks To Get Real Time Water Quality Oversight
