Subscribe
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 9, 2025, directed the personal appearance of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner and the virtual appearance of the Delhi chief secretary on April 16, 2025, in the matter of desilting Defence Colony’s drain.
In spite of the joint meeting held by the chief secretary, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), there has been no progress till now. The monsoon is approaching and there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, the court observed.
Advocate Rahul Khanna was appointed the court commissioner to assess the ground level situation and work undertaken, if any, in the Defence Colony area to desilt the drain. The court commissioner will visit the site, ascertain the extent of desilting work done, collect the relevant evidence in this regard and submit the report before the NGT.
The tribunal was looking into the matter of desilting 24 drains falling into the Yamuna river. The tribunal, in the proceedings dated February 27, 2025, had recorded the stand of the irrigation and flood control department (I&FCD) that work of desilting 22 drains will be completed within the stipulated timeline. The issue was in respect of two remaining drains, namely Kushak drain, and Sunehri Pul drain.
Therefore, the tribunal on February 27, 2025, had directed the I&FCD additional chief secretary to file a fresh affidavit on the steps taken to desilt the covered area of these two drains.
In the proceedings dated February 27, 2025, the stand of the additional chief secretary was that in respect of the covered drains, the matter would be taken up with the chief secretary, GNCTD and the issue will be resolved. The issue was in respect of the department/local authority responsible for cleaning the covered portion of the drains.
The counsel appearing for the GNCTD and representing the I&FCD has submitted that a joint meeting of the officers of I&FCD, the MCD commissioner and also the officers of other departments was convened by the chief secretary. It was submitted that in respect of the Sunehri Pul drain, MCD had taken up the responsibility to clean it. The chief secretary had appointed the joint committee of chief engineer, MCD and I&FCD in the matter of the Kushak drain.
The NGT on April 7, 2025, directed the secretary of Bihar’s urban development and housing department to file the affidavit of compliance on the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and getting rid of all encroachments and garbage dumped on the bank of the Dardha river in Jehanabad.
The eastern bench of the NGT took into consideration the various affidavits filed by the authorities and the stand taken by state respondents that a period of 24 months would be required for completing the construction of STPs and the entire sewerage project.
The NGT disposed of the application with a direction that the project in question should be completed within two years and the affidavit of compliance filed by July 31, 2027. The compliance by the state respondents should include removal of encroachments and of all waste and garbage dumped on the banks of the river, the order said.
The application was taken up suo motu in view of a news item published in the newspaper Hindustan on November 26, 2023. It mentioned that pollution levels were increasing in the city of Jehanabad due to the dumping of garbage in the Dardha.
The chief executive officer of Jehanabad’s Nagar Parishad in their report dated February 5, 2024, stated that the Parishad has 33 wards. The river flows through the middle of the town. It was stated that two STPs with capacities of 17 million litres per day (MLD) and seven MLD have been sanctioned for Jehanabad city under the Amrut 2.0 Project.
A detailed project report has been prepared, and technical approval has been granted by the chief general manager, Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (BUIDCO); these have been forwarded to the principal secretary, urban development and housing department vide letter dated December 27, 2023.
It was also stated that there were initially five garbage dumping sites near the river where locals used to dump waste for over 20 years. Now, three of the five sites have been cleared. One is being cleaned, and the remaining one will also be cleared during the next summer.
The NGT on April 8, 2025, directed the municipal commissioner of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) in West Bengal to file an affidavit showing compliance of the orders of the court dated April 30, 2024.
The NGT on April 30, 2024, had directed the SMC that the entire cleaning of legacy garbage and collected waste in drains and on the wayside, including roadside garbage and garbage in localities, colonies and wards, needs to be completed within six months till October 31, 2024.
The municipal commissioner of the SMC was directed to file an affidavit of compliance showing full compliance by November 15, 2024.