NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has criticised the Delhi government and other related authorities for their “inability” to identify the body responsible for regulating groundwater extraction. Its rebuke came during a hearing on illegal groundwater extraction, exposing a lack of accountability among the agencies concerned.
The tribunal, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel, expressed disappointment over the “unfortunate situation” where authorities appeared unaware of their duties and passed the buck instead of addressing the issue.
During the proceedings, the bench revealed that when asked which authority was responsible for overseeing groundwater regulation, none of the involved parties—Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi government, or Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)—could provide a definitive answer.
While the confusion was evident as the DJB pointed fingers at the District Level Advisory Committee, the DPCC claimed that the responsibility lay with the deputy commissioner (revenue). The government’s legal representative also failed to identify the specific officer. The bench termed it as unfortunate situation.
Direction to chief secy
The NGT directed the chief secretary to ascertain the responsibility and direct the concerned authority to file report on the action taken/proposed to be taken against the violators.