Groundwater contamination in Dwarka: NGT asks DPCC to submit report

The National Green Tribunal instructed the DPCC to report on groundwater contamination in Dwarka's housing society rainwater harvesting systems and the remedial steps taken.

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit a report regarding groundwater contamination in rainwater harvesting systems installed across housing societies in Dwarka here. It also directed the DPCC to submit a separate report on the remedial action taken.

The tribunal was hearing a matter regarding contamination of water in the rain water harvesting systems installed across housing societies in Dwarka and had earlier directed the DPCC to take various steps, including verification of facts, creating awareness about technical know how and preventing extraction of ground water.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that in pursuance of the tribunal’s earlier directions, the Delhi government had filed a report, as per which, eight of the 54 housing societies in Dwarka refused entry to the inspection teams.

The alarming part of the report is that in 180 societies, contamination was found on account of the presence of ammonical nitrogen and total dissolved solid in sample water and there is no plausible explanation in the report for the presence of ammonical nitrogen in the collected samples, the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel said in a recent order. Ammoniacal nitrogen is a measure of ammonia in water. Ammonia is a toxic pollutant that can cause poisoning in humans.

The bench noted that counsel for the DPCC sought four weeks’ time to ensure appropriate remedial measures are taken and that the correct picture is reflected before the tribunal. It noted the tribunal’s order on February 9 this year also sought a report on installation of a well-designed rainwater harvesting system with due precautions by societies along with a report for the steps taken to provide empanelled executors of rainwater harvesting system and measures to create awareness in societies.

The report does not specifically cover the aforesaid issues, though there was a clear direction in this regard, the tribunal said. We deem it proper to issue a direction for filing two separate reports, one relating to the factual situation found on the spot and the other relating to the remedial action. Let these reports be filed by the DPCC within eight weeks, the tribunal said. We deem it proper to issue a direction for filing two separate reports, one relating to the factual situation found on the spot and the other relating to the remedial action.

It directed that the DPCC officials along with other authorities concerned will have police protection for inspecting the remaining eight societies. The matter has been listed on January 5 for further proceedings. The matter has been listed on January 5 for further proceedings.