Revive water bodies in Dwarka before rains: NGT to Delhi govt

A plea filed by environmental activist Diwan Singh alleged that the water bodies were in a dilapidated condition

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to revive water bodies in Dwarka sub-city here before the onset of monsoon after a plea alleged that they were in a dilapidated condition.

A bench headed by Justice Sonam Phintso Wangdi ordered the Arvind Kejriwal government, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Development Authority and other agencies concerned to immediately take steps to clean these water bodies so that rainwater is utilised in a proper manner.

The order came while hearing a plea filed by environmental activist Diwan Singh, which claimed that enormous amounts of rainwater goes waste due to dilapidated condition of the water bodies in Dwarka. The plea added that urgent action was needed for effective utilisation of such water bodies to store rainwater which this area received annually.

The activist had sought directions for cleaning and reviving 33 water bodies, identified by the Dwarka Water Bodies Committee which was constituted by the Lieutenant Governor of NCT of Delhi, before the onset of monsoon.

"Till date very poor and negligible work has been undertaken and the water bodies still remain in dilapidated condition. Huge amount of water that is generated during the monsoon is allowed to go waste into the Najafgarh drain but not diverted to the water bodies," the plea, filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary, had said.

"Direct the Government of NCT of Delhi to clean, maintain and restore 33 water bodies identified by the Dwarka Water Bodies Committee and inspected by the Central Ground Water Board in a time-bound manner before the monsoon set in, so that these develop a good capacity to receive and retain the rain water," it added.

Earlier, the tribunal had directed the city government to clean and restore all natural water bodies after a plea expressed concern over alarming depletion of the water table in the national capital.

It had also directed the government and agencies concerned to ensure that these water bodies receive rainwater in good quantity before the onset of monsoon.