The Delhi High Court warned the Delhi Jal Board of contempt for not following its orders on sewage treatment plants (STPs). The court said that even after clear instructions to install flow meters at discharge points in all 37 STPs, the board did not take it seriously. Dirty water is still being released into the Yamuna, breaking court rules. Calling the situation “completely not acceptable,” the court showed strong disapproval.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court expressed its frustration with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for not taking its orders “seriously.”
The court warned that,
“If there is any further inaction, it would not hesitate in taking strict and stern action under the Contempt of Courts Act to ensure compliance with its directives.”
A division bench consisting of Justices Prathiba Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora addressed a petition concerning the operation of sewage treatment plants (STPs) on January 28.
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The DJB chief engineer informed the court that out of 37 STPs, flow meters had been installed only at the effluent outlets of 22 plants, with four more expected to have flow meters installed by March 2025.
For the remaining 11 STPs, estimates for installing flow meters are still being prepared.
The court noted that it had issued specific orders in November 2024 for the installation of flow meters at the discharge points of all 37 STPs.
It was highlighted that the flow meters in the 22 STPs were installed as part of their construction projects nearly 4-5 years ago, indicating that no new flow meters have been installed following the court’s November 2024 directives.
The bench remarked,
“This clearly reveals an unsatisfactory position.”
It added,
“The issue of STPs has been monitored by this court since April 2024. Since November 12, 2024, no steps appear to have been taken by the DJB for the installation of flow meters… This clearly gives the impression that the DJB has not taken the orders of this Court seriously.”
The court stated that it is currently refraining from taking action against Mr. Bhupesh Kumar, the chief engineer of SDW DJB, as he assured the court that estimates for the remaining 11 STPs would be ready and that flow meters would be installed within a month.
However, the court made it clear that if the flow meters are not installed, it “would not hesitate in taking strict and stern action in accordance with law, both under the Contempt of Courts Act and any other applicable law.”
Additionally, the court has included the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) as a party to the litigation and directed it to submit an affidavit detailing the number of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) it has installed or supervises, whether more CETPs are needed to prevent untreated water from flowing into the river, and if the CETPs have flow meters and sensors to monitor the effluents discharged into the river.