Delhi: NGT raps water board over dying Vasant Kunj pond

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) rapped the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for failing to provide accurate information on a decentralised sewage treatment plant (STP) at Smriti Van in Vasant Kunj—set up to revive the “Macchli talab” pond—and cited the lack of coordination between the DJB and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as a key reason for the demise of the water body, which continues to receive sewage.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava gave both agencies three weeks to hold a meeting and submit a fresh status report on the water body and the status of the STP.
“From the reply of the DJB on November 13, we find that there is no proper coordination between the authorities of the DJB and DDA. Hence, we direct that the CEO, DJB and the Vice Chairman/Acting Vice Chairman, DDA will hold a meeting and will settle this difference. The DJB and DDA will file the affidavit disclosing that the issue relating to lack of coordination has been solved by them and responsibility about the operation of the DSTP has been fixed. Let the same be filed within a period of three weeks,” the bench said in its order dated November 20, which was uploaded on Sunday.
The developments came on a complaint from a resident alleging concretisation of large parts of Smriti Van and contamination due to sewage. Smriti Van is part of the south-central Ridge and is spread across 34.51 acres, between Sector A-Pocket B and C in Vasant Kunj and falls under DDA’s jurisdiction, similar to Sanjay Van. DJB, meanwhile, maintains and runs the STP.
In a report to NGT in September, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) found high pollution levels in the pond due to sewage inflow. Samples collected from the STP and the pond revealed high ammoniacal nitrogen and zero dissolved oxygen, signalling that the lake was almost dead. Further, DPCC highlighted that a drain parallel to the water body was bringing sewage into it, which led to the tribunal seeking a report from DJB.
In its submission on November 13, the DJB said the 1,100 KLD decentralised STP was commissioned in 2022 to improve the pond’s water quality. It said that there was a drain in the park from a nearby locality bringing in garbage and plastic waste. Noting the DJB kept changing its stand at the tribunal, the bench hit out at the water utility for “misleading” it.
“Anil Bharti, SE, DJB, was present and representing DJB. We had put a query to him as to what is treated in this DSTP. Initially, he said no sewage is treated in the DSTP… but it is the rainwater that is treated. After a few arguments, he said it is the drain water that is treated in the DSTP…. then he changed his stand and stated that sewage is also treated in the DSTP. On account of such repeated change of stand by the officer concerned, considerable time of the tribunal has been wasted. It appears that an attempt has been made to mislead the tribunal by repeatedly changing the stand,” NGT said in a warning to DJB.