NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has mandated the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to file a comprehensive report on the groundwater contamination in Dwarka. The directive comes after a startling revelation that out of 354 housing societies in the area, 180 are facing groundwater contamination issues due to defective rainwater harvesting systems.
The NGT said the contamination was primarily caused by elevated levels of ammonical nitrogen and total dissolved solids in the groundwater.
The tribunal, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, expressed alarm over the DJB’s inaction despite the problem being flagged nearly three years ago.
A report dated July 12, along with minutes from an October 2021 meeting, highlighted that the mixing of rainwater with wastewater was likely responsible for the contamination. This issue, though identified years ago, remains unresolved, prompting the NGT to demand an urgent and conclusive report from the DJB.
The Bench said earlier also, on May 15, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) pointed out that faulty designs of rainwater harvesting pits, as provided by the DJB, contributed to the groundwater pollution.
While responding to the Bench, the DJB’s counsel requested one final opportunity to present a remedial and punitive action plan.
The NGT has now instructed the DJB’s CEO to submit a detailed affidavit within four weeks, outlining the corrective measures and actions taken to address the contamination in Dwarka’s housing societies.