At a time when Delhi and adjoining regions stare at unprecedented water crisis, various construction projects for malls, residential complexes and even the Additional Office Complex for the Supreme Court of India have been found to be allegedly exploiting hundreds of litres of groundwater or simply letting it down the drain.
A local commissioner appointed by the National Green Tribunal to inspect various construction projects in Delhi and NCR to see if they were illegally exploiting groundwater has in his report states how builders and contracting companies are indulging in using groundwater for construction purposes or wasting it.
The NGT is hearing a petition by activist Vikrant Tongad against large scale exploitation of underground water for various construction works in and around Delhi.
The court commissioner has said that in July’, he visited the construction site of Additional Office Complex for the Supreme Court of India adjoining Pragati Maidan.
“Borewells were easily visible at every corner of the construction site. On enquiry, the officer concerned informed there were 50 borewells at the site. He informed that it is necessary to keep the water table below 15 metre which was earlier 5 metre,” the court commissioner's report said.
He says he was informed that continuous dewatering would be done till the construction reached fifth floor and all the underground water so extracted is used to make ready mix. One cubic metre of ready mix requires 155 litres of water.
“However, on inspecting the site, I saw a place where the underground water was being disposed of and the said place was connected to a pipe which the workers told goes into a drain. Thus, underground water was being wasted into drain instead of same being recharged in the ground through recharging pits,” the report said.
“It was further informed that no STP water is used for construction. Thus, there is large scale wastage of water,” it said adding the project involves construction of six blocks of which five have three basements each.
Attempt to reach the construction company remained unsuccessful.
Borewells were easily visible at every corner of the construction site. On enquiry, the officer concerned informed there were 50 borewells at the site
