IMC to use drip irrigation system on dividers to ensure sustainable usage of water

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) is working incessantly to improve the use of water by taking numerous measures like installing rainwater harvesting systems, cleaning up water bodies and more. Now, in order to reduce water wastage, the city civic body plans to install drip irrigation system on road dividers to systematically water the plants. The move will significantly reduce the amount of water used for watering these plants as compared to the old methods.

The project will be taken forward in phases, in the first phase, the drip irrigation system will be installed between Regal Square and Madhumilan Square, covering about 600 metres of road dividers with plants. Notably, this will be a pilot project, and if the initiative is successful, other areas in the city will also get drip irrigation systems.

The system would take 40 minutes to water this entire patch, providing the required moisture to the soil to the depth of 1.5 meters. As per the reports, more than 3500 litres of water is currently being used for watering the plants on this divider. With a drip irrigation system in place, this enormous usage of water will come down by 70%.

With heatwave like conditions persisting in the city, efficient watering and maintenance of plants in public spaces are much called for. It has been observed that the harsh summer heat leaves the plants drooping in no time. The situation is likely to improve with this efficient watering techniques.

Apart from this, in an attempt to conserve water and increase the overall green cover, Indore Municipal Corporation also announced to develop 400 city forests or Ahilya Vans. These green patches will also be equipped with rainwater harvesting systems, ensuring standard groundwater level.