The National Green Tribunal’s Principal Bench in New Delhi recently addressed a critical environmental issue in South Delhi’s Greater Kailash I.
The Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Sudhir Agarwal, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Dr Afroz Ahmad considered Suo Motu Application which focused on the unbearable stench emanating from a drain alongside a local park, attracting swarms of mosquitoes and compromising residents’ comfort and well-being.
On September 20, 2024, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) submitted a report following an inspection on August 21, 2024, confirming the presence of mosquitoes and stagnant water in the drain due to inadequate cleaning and waste dumping.
The DPCC’s findings prompted a letter to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on July 28, 2024.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) substantiated these observations in its September 6, 2024 report. Although the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) submitted a report on August 28, 2024, it lacked crucial details, the NGT noted.
During the hearing, counsel for DPCC informed the tribunal that a follow-up inspection with MCD officials revealed some improvements. However, the DJB’s construction of a wall to block the sewer line out-falling into the stormwater drain shifted the nuisance to another location.
The tribunal directed DPCC to file a fresh report within two weeks and DJB to submit a detailed report within four weeks, considering the observations made. The next hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2025.