Delhi Authorities Hit with Rs 50 Crore Fine for Environmental Breaches

The National Green Tribunal fined the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Jal Board over Rs 50 crore, citing environmental violations. Both bodies were found guilty of failing to manage sewage discharge, polluting river Yamuna, and mismanaging storm water drains. The fine will fund environmental restoration in Delhi.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a hefty fine of over Rs 50 crore on the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for consistently violating environmental regulations.

According to the tribunal, the DJB neglected its statutory duties to prevent sewage from entering storm water drains that feed into the river Yamuna. Similarly, the MCD overstepped its authority by altering a South Delhi storm water drain system, thereby hampering its efficacy.

The tribunal, chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and including judicial members Justices Arun Kumar Tyagi and Sudhir Agarwal, identified that the unauthorized modification of the Kushak drain, aimed at generating additional parking space, contributed significantly to local air pollution. Both MCD and DJB are instructed to pay approximately Rs 25.22 crore each to the Central Pollution Control Board for remediation efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)