Rainwater harvesting:NGT notice to 18 deptt,Inst; queries DMRC

The National Green Tribunal today sought response from 18 units including government departments, institutions and a residential society on an application alleging that they had failed to harvest rain water,while directing Delhi government to inspect all of them.
"We direct the concerned Authority i.E. Environment and Forests Department of NCT of Delhi and Delhi Pollution Control Committee to inspect all these 18 units and report to this Tribunal as to whether rain water harvesting systems have been installed or not. If so, whether they are functional or not and also report on water quality and use," a bench headed by Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The 18 units to which notices have been issued include DJB, National Highways Authority of India, Public Works Department, Central Public Works Department, Forest Department, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation, Military Engineer Services, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, DDA, Indian Oil Corporation, Sainik Farms, Flood and Irrigation Department.
Notices were also issued to AIIMS, Safdarjung and Batra Hospital.
The notices were issued on the plea of Mahesh Chandra Saxena, who claimed to be associated with an NGO working in the field of ground water conservation, and claimed the units have installed rain water harvesting (RWH) system but none of them are functioning.

Meanwhile, in response to another petition filed by Noida resident Vikrant Tongad seeking installation of rain water harvesting (RWH) systems at all Metro stations, counsel for DMRC submitted that RWH system is in place in 63 of the 106 stations.
To this, the bench asked DMRC counsel to "file an affidavit stating as to why rain water harvesting system cannot be installed in the remaining 43 stations. It shall also state whether 63 stations where the systems have been installed are functional or not.