Motels, banquets near airport ticked off for noise, air pollution

RED FLAG Establishments on NGT’S radar for illegal constructions and use of groundwater as well

NEW DELHI: Private and commercial farmhouses, banquet halls, hotels, motels and restaurants operating in Mahipalpur and Rajokri near the Delhi airport along NH8 and Jaipur highway have come under the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) scanner.

The green tribunal has redflagged illegal drawing of groundwater, unauthorised construction, noise pollution caused by music and firecrackers and air pollution caused by diesel generator sets among other issues arising from these establishments in its 29-page order published on Monday. The order highlights that swimming pools in both private and commercial farmhouses and banquet halls cannot use groundwater.

“Groundwater is used through tube wells for swimming pools in violation of law... must be forthwith stopped,” read the direction issued by a bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel while hearing a petition against pollution caused by commercial establishments on the stretch filed by Westend Green Farms Society, a society of 170 residential farmhouses in Rajokri.

The NGT took note of private farms illegally drawing groundwater for swimming pools when the government’s lawyer pointed at it. “Bore wells dug by banquets as well as by farmhouses, including members of the applicant society, are required to be sealed... It is made clear that re-use of water, after being disinfected as per norms, can be used for swimming pools and such water thereafter may be used for flushing, by installing double piping system, or utilised for plantation or gardening,” it said.

Abstraction of groundwater in “notified areas”— those identified by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) because of low groundwater table — are not permissible for any purpose other than drinking and domestic use. In case of Delhi, all districts have been “notified” by Delhi Jal Board (DJB), said Somnath Bhattacharya, superintending hydrogeologist, Central Groundwater Board (CGWB).

According to Groundwater Year Book for Delhi 2015-16, most districts in the southern zone of the city, including Rajokri, are in over-exploited category where the groundwater table has fallen to more than 40 metres below.

The orders of NGT will be monitored by a committee headed by a former Delhi High Court judge.

The Delhi Jal Board had, in a different matter, submitted that the demand for potable water in Delhi was being met from surface water (820 million gallons) and 80 million gallons from groundwater sources. Surface water and groundwater are over-stressed, which is why rainwater harvesting and use of treated water for groundwater recharge should be made mandatory, they had said.

Meanwhile, the CGWA has prepared a plan for artificial recharge of ground water as well as revival and rejuvenation of water bodies through rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. The tribunal-appointed committee that oversaw the implementation of RWH will also be responsible implementation of the new order.

“The committee may submit a report of compliance every three months. First such report may be furnished before the next date of hearing on March 8, 2019,” the order said.

Once the report is submitted, the NGT asked CPCB and the environment ministry to draw up an action plan for entire India.

“It is an important development. It needs to be implemented now. A few months ago, Delhi’s groundwater map was submitted to HC and except a few places in the east and north, the rest were seen to have low groundwater levels, south especially. We need reuse of waste water,” said Sushmita Sengupta, programme manager (water) at Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)