NGT Forms Panel to Investigate Illegal Groundwater Extraction in North Delhi

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Dec. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a panel to investigate alleged illegal groundwater extraction in north Delhi’s Kamla Nagar. The case was brought before the tribunal following claims that two individuals, engaged in large-scale commercial construction on Bungalow Road, were unlawfully extracting groundwater via borewells.

In an order dated December 11, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel directed the formation of a joint committee. The panel will include representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The committee is tasked with investigating the situation by visiting the site, determining the number of borewells dug, and confirming whether the necessary permissions were obtained from the relevant authorities.

The NGT has given the committee six weeks to submit its report. The tribunal also ordered responses from various concerned authorities, including the private individuals involved, the Roop Nagar police station, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the sub-divisional magistrate of Burari, DJB, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Central Groundwater Authority (CGA), and the Central Groundwater Board (CGB).

The case is scheduled for further proceedings on April 3, 2025.