New Delhi: In a sweeping crackdown on illegal groundwater extraction, district magistrates across Delhi have sealed 15,962 unauthorized borewells, according to a report submitted by the Delhi government to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Despite this large-scale action, authorities have been unable to trace over 4,000 borewells listed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising concerns about data verification and enforcement on the ground.
The matter is part of ongoing proceedings at the NGT, which is examining petitions highlighting rampant illegal groundwater usage in areas like Ayanagar and Chanakya Place. The cases, filed in 2022, prompted the tribunal to seek detailed compliance reports from all district magistrates earlier this year.
The DJB had informed the NGT in January that over 20,000 illegal borewells were operating in the capital. Of these, a separate report filed by the Delhi environment department in May clarified that 20,297 had been identified, 142 remain unsealed, and 160 are protected by court orders.
Environmental compensation amounting to approximately Rs 1.2 crore has been recovered from violators, the government stated. Officials have been directed to pursue recovery from remaining defaulters.
The Delhi Cabinet has directed district magistrates to draft local water body revival plans and backed a new borewell policy, as data shows the capital extracted more groundwater in 2024
than it recharged.