NEW DELHI: National Green Tribunal has pulled up Delhi Pollution Control Committee for not filing a report related to contamination of water in 180 societies in Dwarka due to faulty rainwater harvesting systems.
The tribunal had earlier directed DPCC to identify the source of contamination, but the committee told NGT that it has floated a tender for sample analysis. The tribunal has asked DPCC to justify why its lab is not conducting the test and why funds available with DPCC are not being utilized.
A report filed by a joint committee in NGT dated May 17, 2023, stated that there are total 354 societies in Dwarka, water samples taken from 180 societies were found contaminated with high presence of ammonical nitrogen and total dissolved solid.
However, NGT on Jan 5 this year observed that another report filed by DPCC on Jan 4 stated that contamination in the sample was found due to presence of organic matter and mixing of society waste in RWA pits. “The reason disclosed for the same was that common pipelines for rooftop rainwater harvesting structures and wastewater emanating from washing machines and floor washing areas were found to be connected and mixed. Said reason does not appear to be appealing in view of the presence of ammonical nitrogen found in the sample,” NGT had earlier said.
However, NGT, which heard the matter on March 5, noted that no report has been submitted by the DPCC till now, but DPCC has submitted that the tender has been floated to award the contract of sample analysis to the successful bidder and the value of the tender is Rs 3.9 lakh.
“We failed to understand as to why the DPCC has floated tender for the sample analysis when the DPCC itself has the lab with testing facilities. Hence, the DPCC is required to disclose in clear terms the reason justifying floating of such a tender and also as to why the funds available with the DPCC are not being utilized, if the lab has some deficiencies,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
