Provide adequate staff for sealing of illegal borewells: NGT

The National Green Tribunal today directed authorities to provide adequate staff and other necessary assistance to the sub-divisional magistrate for sealing of unauthorised and illegal borewells in industrial pockets of Bawana and Narela.
A bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, issued notice to Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and directed its Managing Director to ensure immediately that staff and other necessary items are provided to the SDM for execution of the work.
The matter is listed for next hearing on September 18.
"We direct all the authorities concerned i.E. Delhi Jal Board (DJB), DSIIDC, MCD and Central Ground Water Authority to provide requisite staff and other necessary assistance. The major contribution shall be provided by the DJB and DSIIDC," the bench said.

It also ordered the immediate sealing of the illegal borewells, who have neither applied for consent nor deposited the money as per orders of the tribunal, without any further delay.
"All these authorities shall report to the tribunal, on the next date of hearing, as to how many borewells of this category have been sealed. In the inspection report the inspecting team shall also prepare a record showing water consumption and when the Board has installed the metre and the nature of water used by the respective units," the bench said.
The tribunal's order came on the petitions filed by the NGT Bar Association and Raj Hans Bansal who had opposed the illegal use of groundwater in Delhi.