Closure notice to Bisleri for drawing water without nod
NEW
DELHI: Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued a closure notice to
packaged drinking water manufacturer Bisleri International Private Ltd
in Najafgarh Road Industrial Area for extracting groundwater without
permission from Delhi Jal Board. The plant, which allegedly draws over
3.31 lakh litres of groundwater per day with three borewells, also
doesn't measure reject water from its reverse osmosis plant, according
to DPCC.
Action against this "unauthorized" water plant marks
the beginning of identifying and regulating industries that are bulk
users of groundwater, say DPCC officials.
Earlier, National
Green Tribunal had pulled up the Delhi government several times for not
acting against illegal groundwater extraction by various illegal water
tanker businesses and tubewells. Depending on jurisdiction, it's DJB or
New Delhi Municipal Council which is the competent authority to give
permission for groundwater extraction. DPCC had been writing to DJB
about industries which depend solely on groundwater like packaged water
plants to be regulated.
Bisleri had applied for 'consent to
establish' and 'consent to operate'-two mandatory clearances from DPCC
needed to set up any industry but both applications were rejected. DPCC
officials inspected the plant on March 15, 2013, when they found three
borewells functioning without permissions. A show cause notice was
issued on May 17, 2013, seeking explanation of why the plant did not
have requisite permissions from DJB. Another show cause notice was
handed to them on February 13, 2014. To this, Bisleri submitted two
replies dated March 4, 2014, and March 7, 2014, explaining that it had
disconnected two borewells and requested DJB to grant NOC to extract
groundwater with one borewell.
But Bisleri failed to submit
copy of DJB's permission to DPCC. In its closure order, DPCC has
directed Bisleri to "close operation of the unit with immediate effect"
and asked Tata Power Distribution Ltd to disconnect electricity supply,
DJB to disconnect water supply and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM)
to take necessary action for complete closure of the plant. "The plant
also doesn't have a rainwater harvesting facility. According to our data
from last year, they were extracting 3.31 lakh litres per day. They may
have expanded their operations now. It's a lot of groundwater that was
being extracted without any regulation," said a DPCC official.
"We had written to DJB several times asking them if many such units have
permission but did not receive any response. Before cracking the whip
on the poor who are using water for drinking or daily requirements, the
bigger industries who use water in bulk need to be regulated," added
another DPCC official. When TOI contacted Bisleri International for its
reaction, a representative said, "We don't know about such a closure
order."
Central Ground Water Board's 2011 data said that the
rate of groundwater exploitation in south Delhi is 240% more than the
sustainable levels of extraction. In water starved areas, the water
table is declining at a rate of one metre below ground level (bgl)
annually. What's worse is that in some parts of south and southwest
Delhi, it has fallen by 2-3 metre bgl annually.
MD NAUSHAD ALAM
PGDM 2SEM
NEW
DELHI: Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued a closure notice to
packaged drinking water manufacturer Bisleri International Private Ltd
in Najafgarh Road Industrial Area for extracting groundwater without
permission from Delhi Jal Board. The plant, which allegedly draws over
3.31 lakh litres of groundwater per day with three borewells, also
doesn't measure reject water from its reverse osmosis plant, according
to DPCC.
Action against this "unauthorized" water plant marks the beginning of identifying and regulating industries that are bulk users of groundwater, say DPCC officials.
Earlier, National Green Tribunal had pulled up the Delhi government several times for not acting against illegal groundwater extraction by various illegal water tanker businesses and tubewells. Depending on jurisdiction, it's DJB or New Delhi Municipal Council which is the competent authority to give permission for groundwater extraction. DPCC had been writing to DJB about industries which depend solely on groundwater like packaged water plants to be regulated.
Bisleri had applied for 'consent to establish' and 'consent to operate'-two mandatory clearances from DPCC needed to set up any industry but both applications were rejected. DPCC officials inspected the plant on March 15, 2013, when they found three borewells functioning without permissions. A show cause notice was issued on May 17, 2013, seeking explanation of why the plant did not have requisite permissions from DJB. Another show cause notice was handed to them on February 13, 2014. To this, Bisleri submitted two replies dated March 4, 2014, and March 7, 2014, explaining that it had disconnected two borewells and requested DJB to grant NOC to extract groundwater with one borewell.
But Bisleri failed to submit copy of DJB's permission to DPCC. In its closure order, DPCC has directed Bisleri to "close operation of the unit with immediate effect" and asked Tata Power Distribution Ltd to disconnect electricity supply, DJB to disconnect water supply and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) to take necessary action for complete closure of the plant. "The plant also doesn't have a rainwater harvesting facility. According to our data from last year, they were extracting 3.31 lakh litres per day. They may have expanded their operations now. It's a lot of groundwater that was being extracted without any regulation," said a DPCC official.
"We had written to DJB several times asking them if many such units have permission but did not receive any response. Before cracking the whip on the poor who are using water for drinking or daily requirements, the bigger industries who use water in bulk need to be regulated," added another DPCC official. When TOI contacted Bisleri International for its reaction, a representative said, "We don't know about such a closure order."
Central Ground Water Board's 2011 data said that the rate of groundwater exploitation in south Delhi is 240% more than the sustainable levels of extraction. In water starved areas, the water table is declining at a rate of one metre below ground level (bgl) annually. What's worse is that in some parts of south and southwest Delhi, it has fallen by 2-3 metre bgl annually.
Action against this "unauthorized" water plant marks the beginning of identifying and regulating industries that are bulk users of groundwater, say DPCC officials.
Earlier, National Green Tribunal had pulled up the Delhi government several times for not acting against illegal groundwater extraction by various illegal water tanker businesses and tubewells. Depending on jurisdiction, it's DJB or New Delhi Municipal Council which is the competent authority to give permission for groundwater extraction. DPCC had been writing to DJB about industries which depend solely on groundwater like packaged water plants to be regulated.
Bisleri had applied for 'consent to establish' and 'consent to operate'-two mandatory clearances from DPCC needed to set up any industry but both applications were rejected. DPCC officials inspected the plant on March 15, 2013, when they found three borewells functioning without permissions. A show cause notice was issued on May 17, 2013, seeking explanation of why the plant did not have requisite permissions from DJB. Another show cause notice was handed to them on February 13, 2014. To this, Bisleri submitted two replies dated March 4, 2014, and March 7, 2014, explaining that it had disconnected two borewells and requested DJB to grant NOC to extract groundwater with one borewell.
But Bisleri failed to submit copy of DJB's permission to DPCC. In its closure order, DPCC has directed Bisleri to "close operation of the unit with immediate effect" and asked Tata Power Distribution Ltd to disconnect electricity supply, DJB to disconnect water supply and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) to take necessary action for complete closure of the plant. "The plant also doesn't have a rainwater harvesting facility. According to our data from last year, they were extracting 3.31 lakh litres per day. They may have expanded their operations now. It's a lot of groundwater that was being extracted without any regulation," said a DPCC official.
"We had written to DJB several times asking them if many such units have permission but did not receive any response. Before cracking the whip on the poor who are using water for drinking or daily requirements, the bigger industries who use water in bulk need to be regulated," added another DPCC official. When TOI contacted Bisleri International for its reaction, a representative said, "We don't know about such a closure order."
Central Ground Water Board's 2011 data said that the rate of groundwater exploitation in south Delhi is 240% more than the sustainable levels of extraction. In water starved areas, the water table is declining at a rate of one metre below ground level (bgl) annually. What's worse is that in some parts of south and southwest Delhi, it has fallen by 2-3 metre bgl annually.
MD NAUSHAD ALAM
PGDM 2SEM
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