the Haryana government is planning to use around 300 million gallons per day (mg/d) of treated sewage water for irrigation and artificial recharging of groundwater aquifers. Till now this untreated sewage water was being released into the Yamuna. At a recent workshop, a team of officials comprising five chief engineers and 25 others from the state government met officials from the Central Ground Water Board ( cgwb ) to discuss the details of the plan.

"Haryana is losing around Rs 200 million per day due to spillage of 200 million cubic metres (mcm) of water because of shortage of electricity at pumping stations,' says M Mehta, regional director, cgwb . Moreover, this plan could check the falling water tables in the state. "The Haryana government is keen to find out ways to utilise maximum amount of treated sewage water to recharge groundwater in areas where groundwater levels are falling,' says Mehta.