Jal Board asked to file status report

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 26.

The Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to file a status report on the water supply on a public interest litigation alleging supply of contaminated drinking water in many localities, particularly in certain areas of East Delhi.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Arajit Pasayat, and Mr. Justice D.K. Jain asked the DJB counsel to submit the report by April 23.

However, the Bench refused to issue notice on the petition filed by Mr. Sugriv Dubey of the United Communist Party of India (UCPI).

Mr. Dubey told the Bench that around 19 major drains were discharging their sludge into the Yamuna making the river's water non potable.

The Delhi Government had not taken any concrete step so far to check the discharge of industrial wastes into the river resulting into non-availability of sufficient safe water for treatment, the petitioner claimed.

He said in certain areas of Delhi, water and sewer lines ran closely raising the danger of contamination of the drinking water. The ground water was also not fit for consumption, he added.

Since the Capital was facing acute short supply of drinking water, people had no option but drink the raw ground water exposing themselves to water-borne diseases, Mr. Dubey said.

Referring to the treatment capacity, Mr. Dubey submitted that the existing plants had the capacity to treat about 2,290 million litres per day only, while the city's requirement was 5,144 million litres.

The petitioner also drew, the attention of the Bench to the alleged discrimination in the water supply stating that the zones lying in the northern areas of the Capital got less water than in the southern region.

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