NGT pulls up Delhi for not disclosing groundwater regulations

28 Aug 2024 CW Team

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, while hearing the matter about illegal groundwater extraction here, said that the DJB, Delhi government and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) were asked which authority is responsible for checking the illegal extraction of groundwater, but none could answer the query.

While the Delhi government's counsel did not know which officer was responsible, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said the responsibility was with the District Level Advisory Committee and the DPCC said the deputy commissioner (revenue) was responsible, noted the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel.

"It is a very unfortunate situation. The matter has been pending since long and even after a lapse of so many years, authorities are not aware of their duties and responsibilities and they are shifting the responsibility to each other without clearly disclosing as to which authority is responsible for regulating the groundwater extraction in Delhi," said the tribunal in its order dated August 22.

"In these circumstances, we direct the Chief Secretary, NCT Delhi to ascertain the authority's responsibility keeping in view the observation made above and to direct the concerned authority to file a report before the tribunal with regard to the action taken/proposed to be taken against the violators," it added. The matter has been posted for further proceedings on September 3.

The National Green Tribunal has rebuked the authorities concerned, including the Delhi government, for passing the buck instead of disclosing which body was responsible for regulating groundwater extraction. Ruing that it was an unfortunate situation where the authorities were unaware of their duties and responsibilities, the green panel directed the chief secretary of Delhi to find which authority regulated groundwater extraction. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, while hearing the matter about illegal groundwater extraction here, said that the DJB, Delhi government and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) were asked which authority is responsible for checking the illegal extraction of groundwater, but none could answer the query. While the Delhi government's counsel did not know which officer was responsible, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said the responsibility was with the District Level Advisory Committee and the DPCC said the deputy commissioner (revenue) was responsible, noted the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel. It is a very unfortunate situation. The matter has been pending since long and even after a lapse of so many years, authorities are not aware of their duties and responsibilities and they are shifting the responsibility to each other without clearly disclosing as to which authority is responsible for regulating the groundwater extraction in Delhi, said the tribunal in its order dated August 22. In these circumstances, we direct the Chief Secretary, NCT Delhi to ascertain the authority's responsibility keeping in view the observation made above and to direct the concerned authority to file a report before the tribunal with regard to the action taken/proposed to be taken against the violators, it added. The matter has been posted for further proceedings on September 3.

Resources

12 Feb 2026

Hisense Opens First India Manufacturing Plant at Sri City

Hisense has inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in India at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, through a joint venture with Epack Manufacturing Technologies Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Epack Durable Limited.The 10-acre facility, developed with an investment exceeding USD 30 million, is located within Epack Durable’s industrial park at Sri City and will commence commercial production from February 2026. Once fully operational, the plant will manufacture Room Air Conditioners (RACs) exclusively for Hisense India, accounting for 100 per cent of the brand’s domestic RAC outpu..

Real Estate

12 Feb 2026

Superb Realty Launches Altura, Focuses on IAQ-Led Office Design

Superb Realty has launched Superb Altura, a mixed-use Grade A commercial development at Amar Mahal junction in the Chembur–Ghatkopar corridor, positioning indoor air quality and intelligent building systems at the centre of its design strategy amid rising pollution levels in Mumbai.The development reflects a shift in office real estate priorities, where occupiers increasingly evaluate how buildings manage health, energy efficiency and operational resilience in high-pollution urban environments. Altura integrates advanced systems that continuously monitor and optimise indoor environments, cov..

Infrastructure Transport

12 Feb 2026

CPCL Tops NHAI’s First DPR Consultant Ranking

Chaitanya Projects Consultancy (CPCL) has secured the top position in the National Highways Authority of India’s first-ever provisional DPR consultants rating, achieving a score of 80.75 out of 100. The ranking places CPCL ahead of 55 peer firms, including Pentacle Consultants (78), L&T Infrastructure Engineering (76), MSV International Technology (74), and Transys Consulting (72).The rankings, released in the fourth week of January 2026, mark NHAI’s first structured and transparent evaluation of DPR consultants to improve quality standards under Bharatmala and other national highway p..