HC asks MoEF to test contaminated water of lakes in forests

The Delhi High Court today asked Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to collect samples from an "artificial" waterbody in a forested area near Fort Tughlakabad here and submit a report on whether it is poisonous and also if it is affecting animals in the area.
A bench of justices B D Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul asked the MoEF to "draw samples" from the waterbody which is alleged to be contaminated due to the effluents discharged by some factories in the area.
The court directed advocate Jasmeet Singh, appearing for the ministry, to submit a status report based on the chemical analysis of the samples collected from the water body.

It also asked the ministry to find out the source from where the water is accummulating in the area and how it is affecting the animals.
The court passed the order while hearing a PIL seeking clean water for animals and birds in the city.
The plea filed by Manoj Kumar alleged that the animals and birds in the national capital are being deprived of clean water to drink.

It has said water treatment plants should be set up for purifying polluted water to save birds, animals, trees and the environment.
It has also said there was a forested area near Fort Tughlakabad on Delhi Development Authority land and residents there were running illegal factories and using chemicals and their filthy, polluted, hazardous discharged water was flowing into the forest and has created an "artificial lake".

Animals, including monkeys, peacocks, deer and birds were drinking the polluted water and were dying on a large scale, Kumar's petition has 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 petition also sought plantation of 500 new trees.