Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal visited a water body at Rajokri, which has been revived and turned into a community spot b… https://t.co/5oUaIG8Apd — TOI Delhi (@TOIDelhi) 1545969978000

NEW DELHI: Till last year, this used to be a dirty, turbid pond fed by sewage from the nearby basti — a place where only stray cows and pigs loitered. What stands at the spot today is a landscaped community gathering spot with an artificial wetland, grassland, gravel pathways, rain gardens and a large amphitheatre.This pond in Rajokri, on the ridge near the Gurugram border, underwent a total transformation after it was selected as a pilot project for a decentralised mini-sewage treatment system.It now has a 9,500sq metre redeveloped area, at the heart of which is a 2,000sq m (2 million gallon) water body fed by purified effluents from the same sewage that had earlier polluted it.The AAP government said the Rajokri pond will now be the template for the revival of 159 other water bodies in the city — a much-needed initiative in a city where the water table is falling alarmingly.