The Delhi government on Friday sought more time from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for filing its reply on a plea alleging that water smuggling mafia is behind illegal bore wells in Delhi and authorities are either ‘hand-in-glove’ with them or ‘turning a blind eye’ to such activities.
A bench headed by justice P Jyothimani granted time to the government till 11 November to file its reply, when it has also asked Delhi Pollution Control Committee to submit its response.
<span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">The Tribunal is hearing petition filed by <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Raj Hans Bansal alleging that illegal extraction of groundwater through bore wells ‘is being conducted by full fledged water smuggling mafia and police and other authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to these activities or acting hand-in-glove with such mafia’.
In his petition, Bansal has submitted that according to a July 2010 notification issued by the Lt. Governor of Delhi, ‘No person, group, authority, association or institution shall draw groundwater through bore wells/tube wells without the prior permission of the CGWA, DJB or <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the NDMC for any domestic, commercial, and agriculture purpose.’
He has alleged that despite the notification, ‘several illegal bore wells are operating throughout Delhi’ and are ‘causing <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">excessive loss of groundwater and thereby leading to ecological and <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">environmental imbalance’.
The petition has also alleged that ‘permission for these illegal bore wells are obtained through <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">illegal gratification to <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">officials of DJB and NDMC’.
A bench headed by justice P Jyothimani granted time to the government till 11 November to file its reply, when it has also asked Delhi Pollution Control Committee to submit its response.
<span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">The Tribunal is hearing petition filed by <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">Raj Hans Bansal alleging that illegal extraction of groundwater through bore wells ‘is being conducted by full fledged water smuggling mafia and police and other authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to these activities or acting hand-in-glove with such mafia’.
In his petition, Bansal has submitted that according to a July 2010 notification issued by the Lt. Governor of Delhi, ‘No person, group, authority, association or institution shall draw groundwater through bore wells/tube wells without the prior permission of the CGWA, DJB or <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">the NDMC for any domestic, commercial, and agriculture purpose.’
He has alleged that despite the notification, ‘several illegal bore wells are operating throughout Delhi’ and are ‘causing <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">excessive loss of groundwater and thereby leading to ecological and <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">environmental imbalance’.
The petition has also alleged that ‘permission for these illegal bore wells are obtained through <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">illegal gratification to <span data-style="border-bottom: 1px solid #0000FF !important;text-decoration:underline !important;color:#0000FF !important">officials of DJB and NDMC’.