Penalty for not connecting houses to DJB’s sewer lines

Households that have not taken individual connections from Delhi Jal Board’s sewer network in the locality and are releasing their sewage into storm water drains, which ultimately reach the Yamuna, could soon be penalised.

The National Green Tribunal-appointed Yamuna pollution monitoring committee has also asked the DJB to explore the possibility of taking the help of ‘paid informers’ or engaging a security agency, CCTVs and drones to watch over drains in selected areas where illegal dumping of sewage by vehicles is rampant.

The two-member committee NGT committee has asked the water utility to prepare a list of households in select colonies in east Delhi, where despite having sewer lines installed by the DJB, households have not taken individual connections. The East Municipal Corporation would impose fines on a pilot basis.

“The CEO of DJB was asked to prepare a list of such households in selected colonies on a pilot basis, which can be handed over to the East MCD (and other MCDs) for enforcement action under the DMC Act or the Environment Protection Act as the case may be,” read the minutes of the meeting held by the NGT-committee in June.

The minutes said in one of the earlier meetings held by the committee with civic agencies, the deputy commissioner of EDMC had agreed to levy fines under the DMC Act (Delhi Municipal Corporation Act) on those who despite having a sewage network are releasing their sewage into storm water drains in areas where sewer connections have been provided.

“We are already been issuing challans and imposing fines on those polluting storm water drains. We are yet to get any such list from DJB. Once the DJB provides us the list, further actions would be taken,” said Dilraj Kaur, commissioner of EDMC.

According to the DJB, sewer lines have been installed in at least 60% of the geographical area of the national capital. At least 80% of the population has been covered. The outcome budget of the Delhi government stated that out of the 1522 unauthorised colonies that are eligible to received sewer connections, sewer lines have been installed in at least 345 colonies. The plan is to reach another 600 such colonies by 2020.

But despite the availability of sewer lines, several households have not taken individual connections to their houses. These households continue to release the sewage into storm water drains. This sewage reaches the Yamuna, polluting the river.