Delhi HC seeks test report on polluted water in 'lake'

The Delhi High Court Wednesday expressed strong displeasure at the government's inaction on its order to the environment ministry to get tested samples of "contaminated" water in a green forest area in Tughlakabad due to which birds are allegedly dying.

A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the environment secretary to appear before it in person at the next hearing Oct 15 if the ministry fails to comply with the order.

The court was hearing a plea filed by one Manoj Kumar.

The court's direction came after advocate Jasmeet Singh, representing the ministry, told the bench that he had written numerous letters to the ministry about the court's order but it has not taken any action.

The plea said there was a green forest area in Tughlakabad on Delhi Development Authority land, and residents of the area were running illegal factories and using chemicals and their filthy, polluted, hazardous discharged water was flowing into the forest.

An "artificial lake" has been created and the polluted water "is spreading in the whole forest", it said.

Animals, including monkeys, peacocks, deer, and birds were drinking the polluted water and were dying on a large scale, the plea said.

It also said a particular community has started burying bodies in the forest area and the same is being converted into a graveyard which was also polluting and spoiling the forest environment.

The court had asked the ministry Aug 13 to get the water samples tested and file a report on the issue.