NGT seeks details of borewells installed by DMRC

The NGT today directed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to furnish a list of borewells it has installed and the quantity of water extracted by it, following charges that it was extracting groundwater instead of using waste water to wash its trains.
A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim also directed Delhi Metro to inform the green panel whether they have installed water meters in their depots for extraction of ground water.
It asked DMRC to submit the details before March 20 and said that in the event of failure to file the information, it would impose a cost of Rs two lakh on it.

The NGT was hearing a plea filed by Delhi resident Kush Kalra who had alleged that DMRC was extracting groundwater instead of using waste water to wash its trains,resulting in depletion of water table.
Advocate Kush Sharma, appearing for Kalra, DMRC was busy shining its trains by "illegal" extraction of groundwater when most parts of the city was suffering from shortage of water.
Referring to a RTI reply, the plea had said DMRC's water requirement was met through borewells and DJB connection. It also said that in order to draw water from the borewell, 3 to 5 HP pumps were used.

"No bottled water is used, groundwater after treatment as per requirement is used for train washing...Borewells have been provided in the depots from where water is sourced.

"Around 400 to 500 litres of groundwater is used for washing of one metro train. The water, after washing of metro train, is sent to Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). The treated water is then used for gardening and the excess sent to drains," the RTI reply had revealed.
Further, another RTI response received from Delhi Jal Board said no permission had been granted to DMRC for digging borewells.
In another response, a list of metro stations that had been granted such permissions was provided to DMRC, the plea had said while referring to the contradiction between the responses.