In a significant ruling that reaffirms the constitutional right to clean drinking water, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has reprimanded the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for supplying highly contaminated and unsafe drinking water to residents of A-1 Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi. The Tribunal was hearing Original Application No. 116/2025, filed by the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the affected area.
Appearing for the residents, Mr. Divyakant Lahoti and Ms. Shreya Gokel, Advocates of Lahoti Advocates, made compelling submissions highlighting the grave violations of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and implicitly the right to safe and potable drinking water. The Tribunal took serious note of their arguments and expressed deep anguish over the blatant neglect by the DJB.
Unhygienic Water and Alarming Contamination
The residents had complained that sewage was mixing with the drinking water supply due to corroded and outdated pipelines, exacerbated by blocked sewer lines. Despite repeated complaints, DJB failed to take remedial action. Notably, a video recording dated 25.04.2025—submitted in a pen drive and played in open court—captured DJB officials themselves admitting that the water sample collected was “unfit for human consumption.”
Pursuant to the Tribunal’s earlier directions, CPCB was instructed to conduct independent sampling. The results of six water samples collected from the locality on 30.06.2025 revealed shockingly high levels of Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform, and E. coli, far exceeding permissible limits under IS 10500:2012. One sample from A-1/65 showed a fecal coliform count of 16 x 10⁵ MPN/100 mL, whereas potable water standards require zero detection in any 100 mL sample.
DJB’s Failure and Breach of Undertaking
Earlier, in the proceedings dated 30.05.2025, the Chief Engineer of DJB had submitted an affidavit undertaking to resolve the issue by 30.06.2025. However, the fresh sampling report demonstrated that no effective remediation had taken place, thereby amounting to a prima facie breach of the undertaking.
To underscore the severity of the situation, the RWA also submitted an independent test report dated 14.07.2025, based on samples collected privately. The analysis revealed an E. coli concentration of 1.2 x 10⁵ MPN/100 mL and fecal coliform at 1.7 x 10⁶ MPN/100 mL—both levels indicating extreme health hazards.
NGT’s Directions
Rejecting DJB’s attempts to discredit the CPCB report, the Tribunal observed that CPCB, being a neutral and technically equipped agency, held credibility in its findings. The NGT directed:
The matter is next listed for hearing on 28.07.2025.
A Triumph for Environmental Justice
This order stands as a testament to the importance of legal intervention in environmental governance. Advocates Divyakant Lahoti and Shreya Gokel were instrumental in holding the public authorities accountable and ensuring that citizens’ rights to health and hygiene are protected.
Their advocacy not only exposed systemic neglect by the DJB but also reinforced the vital role of constitutional courts and tribunals in enforcing environmental safeguards. The case is a critical reminder that clean water is not a privilege but a right—a right that must be vigilantly defended.