Recover sewage charges from households: NGT to Delhi govt

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed Delhi government to levy and recover sewage charges from all households for discharge of untreated effluents into river Yamuna.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said, “The Delhi Government may forthwith comply with the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 24.10.2019 on the subject of levy and recovery of the sewage charges.”

Raking up the ‘Polluter pays principle’, the green tribunal said that every individual household causing pollution by release of sewage into an open environment or in the sewer network “is liable for payment for its treatment”.

The bench also pulled up Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and said that they cannot shy away from its statutory responsibility. They have now been directed to comply with the earlier directions instead of finding lame excuses and taking stand of avoiding public duty. The matter will now be taken up on January 27, 2021.

The bench noted that 2.3 lakh people in unauthorised colonies in Delhi have not taken sewage connection which was resulting in emission of pollutants in the river.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee needs to ensure that polluting industries are stopped, and new industries are not allowed without safeguards, it noted.

“Let the authorities in Delhi, Haryana and UP consider and adopt the report of the Niti Aayog in shortening the procedures in dealing with the waste management activities,” it further stated.