NGT raps DUSIB for repeated delays, flags safety lapses in desilting

New Delhi: National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday pulled up the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) for repeatedly failing to file a status report on the subsidiary drain network of Barapullah, imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 for non-compliance with its earlier orders.

Hearing a long-pending case on sewage discharge and stormwater drains, the tribunal noted that despite multiple opportunities since Jan, DUSIB had not submitted a comprehensive affidavit on sewage discharge from JJ clusters. The delay, the bench said, had stalled scrutiny of key environmental issues.

The bench, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, recorded that DUSIB had assured on Feb 24 that a “comprehensive reply” would be filed within two weeks, but failed to place the document on record. During the latest hearing, the agency claimed the reply was ready and had been shared with some parties, but conceded it had not been formally filed before the tribunal.

“On account of not filing the reply, the examination of the issue has been delayed. The reply has not been filed till now and the matter is being adjourned even today. Hence, we impose a cost of Rs 25,000 on DUSIB for repeated non-compliance of the tribunal’s orders,” the bench said in its March 24 order.

DUSIB has been directed to deposit the amount with the NGT Bar Association within a week. The matter will be heard next on April 1.

The tribunal also expressed serious concern over safety lapses in desilting work being carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), particularly along the Defence Colony drain stretch.

Referring to photographs earlier placed on record by MCD, the bench noted that openings created for desilting — referred to as slits — were not properly secured. Large gaps in protective covers and their raised placement above ground level made them hazardous, increasing the risk of accidents.

Rejecting MCD’s submission that the structures were safe, the tribunal held that the gaps remained exposed and inadequately protected. It directed the MCD commissioner to ensure safety measures to prevent any untoward incident.

The civic body has also been asked to file a detailed affidavit outlining existing and proposed safety measures, along with supporting material.

NGT further took note of submissions that the annual desilting exercise — crucial to prevent waterlogging and pollution — was initiated only in late Feb. MCD informed the bench that tenders for desilting were floated in Feb, while additional tenders for permanent protective structures were issued on March 19.

The tribunal said delays in reporting and on-ground execution would not be tolerated in matters affecting urban drainage and environmental health.