DJB’s ‘temporary’ sewage fix rejected

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rejected a proposal by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to connect 43 stormwater drains carrying sewage into the Barapullah drain to decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs), calling the move a “temporary solution” that fails to address the source of pollution.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The order, passed on August 20 by a bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, directed the DJB, Delhi government and other agencies to devise a permanent plan to prevent sewage from entering stormwater drains. “Sewage cannot be allowed to flow in these stormwater drains. Tapping and diverting the drains to the DSTP can be a temporary measure, but such a measure will result in over-flood