Levy sewerage charges on all households in Delhi: NGT

new delhi: The National Green Tribunal here has now directed the Delhi government to comply with a Supreme Court order that mandated levying of sewerage charges on all households in the Capital for discharging untreated effluents into the Yamuna, also noting that 2.3 lakh people in Delhi's unauthorised colonies had not taken sewerage connections, which was resulting in immense damage to the river.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said as per the Polluter pays Principle, every individual household causing pollution by releasing sewage into an open environment or in the sewer network is liable to pay for its treatment. On Thursday, the NGT said the major problem of untreated sewage being dumped into the Yamuna continues as industrial effluents and other pollutants are still being redirected into the river.

If the Yamuna is to be rejuvenated, such discharges either directly or through drains need to be stopped.