The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has submitted an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), proposing new guidelines to curb groundwater contamination allegedly caused by rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in the city.
In its submission, the DJB said that a joint committee of experts convened on July 31, 2025, to review the issue. The committee recommended measures such as prohibiting the installation of RWH systems in stormwater drains and ensuring that separators are fitted in the structures to divert the first spell of rainwater, often carrying pollutants, away from the pits.
The tribunal has been examining the matter since February 2023, following a plea filed by a Dwarka resident who claimed that several RWH pits in the sub-city were polluting the groundwater table. A joint inspection by an NGT-appointed expert panel in May 2023, comprising officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and DJB, reported alarming findings: RWH pits were present in 235 societies in Dwarka, but 180 showed high levels of ammoniacal nitrogen and total dissolved solids.
A subsequent report dated March 27, 2025, revealed that groundwater in 115 societies contained faecal coliform, while four societies did not have operational RWH pits at all.
The new guidelines, once finalised, are expected to serve as a framework for safe and sustainable groundwater recharge in Delhi.
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