It started with the INTACH team reading the 1883 Gazetteer which mentioned the fact that centuries ago, Yamuna used to flow eastwards of its present course and it was called Budhi Yamuna. Interesting trivia but when it was corraborated by remote sensing experts from JNU and satellite imagery, it revealed a startling fact: The Budhi Yamuna was actually drain number 6, dry, dirty and decrepit throughout the year.

This discovery had great significance. It meant that the entire area is filled with paleo channels which essentially means that the soil condition in that area is ideal for percolation and the area was lined with excellent aquifers. Evidence was also available in a 1833 journal by Major Colvin titled `Restoration of Ancient Canals in Delhi Territory'. It mentioned the Najafgarh drain being dug, the Bhudi Yamuna and the old canals existing in the city. In the 19th century, there were a lot of canals being dug in Britain and similar activity was pursued in Delhi and surrounding areas.

Even as late as 1976, the Delhi Gazetteer states: ``Traces of the old course of the river are seen, west of the present channel. The drain channel called the Budha nala flowing by Sonipat is the probable old bed of the Yamuna. It is noteworthy that the course of the Budhi divides the country into Khadar (upland) and Bangar (flood plain).''

Herein lay the key to the proposal which in principle has been approved by the government. But implementation is another story. The proposal suggests that the North East Quadrilateral of Delhi -- comprising of the area north of the Supplementary Drain, East of the Budhi Yamuna and West of the River Yamuna's present course -- should be made a reservoir for the excess monsoon water. The excellent re-charge zone and the sparse population would facilitate the plan.

``We are depending too much on surface water from Yamuna in Delhi. A time has come that new construction should be done keeping in mind sustainable ground water sources,'' said Manu Bhatnagar, Advisor, Natural Heritage Division, INTACH.

Various routes exist to bring the flood water from the Western Yamuna Canal into Drain number 6. A diversion section already exists between the two in the form of partially-used drains. Only these systems need to be refined. The flood waters would then flow through these channels to Daryapur Drain, Burari Creek and other identified paleo channels and create off channel and on channel reservoirs on their banks, making the area water flushed. The identification of these have already been carried out through the satellite imagery, ground surveys as well as existing field data.

The total area being 50 square kilometres, it can have at least 400 shallow tubewells and deliver an average of 6000 gallons per hour for a 16-hour daily period leading to an expected yield of 35 MGD for 300 days each year. The cost, estimated between Rs 15 to 20 crore, is affordable as compared to trasporting water from large dams near Himalayas. By now it is clear that the only way to save the river from death and to solve the water problem is to store unused monsoon water in ground water reservoirs for extraction during the lean season.