Key Takeaways
- NGT directs Delhi civic agencies to ensure clean and odour-free drains
- Environmental compensation to be realized from DJB and MCD
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday directed civic and utility agencies to break open Delhi’s storm water drain covers or lids across the line of the entire covered drain so as to facilitate not only cleaning and desilting but also that gases or foul smell find easy exit.
The NGT‘s Principal Bench, led by Chairman Justice Prakash Shrivastava, heard an interlocutory application from the Greater Kailash Resident Welfare Association. The association stated that residents had been suffering for 25 years due to illegal and unauthorized discharge of untreated sewage in storm water drains.
The application alleged that the authorities have not provided a cover/lid on the drain touching houses from B-159 to B-187 while the rest of the drain has been covered.
The uncovered portion acts as a chimney-like outlet where extremely obnoxious and poisonous gases are emitted/released.
Poisonous and obnoxious gases enter straight into the house’s kitchens/bedrooms of the residents making life a 24×7 living hell, the applicants said.
They also filed writ petitions in the Delhi High Court in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Contempt and Perjury proceedings were also initiated in the Delhi High Court.
It pointed out that the entire stormwater drain was earlier uncovered wherein Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was allowing the discharge of untreated sewage from the local drains.
The judgement authored by Justice Sudhir Aggarwal directed the respondents that their orders should be complied with, and the exercise should be completed within a month.
The Tribunal said that its consequences and result shall be examined in the next one month as to whether it solves the entire problem or not. If the problem is solved, no other action is required.
The Tribunal further said, if the steps do not solve the problem, MCD will remove the entire 4 chambered RCC cover/walls from stormwater drain in its entire length so as to restore storm water drain in question to its original condition and this exercise shall be completed in the next 3 months.
The amount of environmental compensation realized/recovered from DJB and MCD shall be utilized by CPCB for remediation and restoration of environmental damage caused in Delhi in pursuance of a Restoration Plan which shall be prepared by a Joint Committee.
The Bench directed that the Member Secretary, CPCB shall be the nodal authority forcoordination and compliance.
