New Delhi: As many as 123 hotels and guest houses in Delhi’s Paharganj are still operating borewells without installing the mandatory digital water meters or piezometers, despite repeated communications, in violation of NGT’s orders.The digital water meters show the quantity of water extracted from borewells. DJB informed NGT that it has asked the district administration to seal borewells operated by these 123 establishments.In Jan, Delhi Pollution Control Committee imposed an environmental damage compensation of Rs 22.5 crore on 536 hotels and guesthouses in Paharganj for illegally extracting groundwater over 11 years.The tribunal is currently hearing a plea by activist Varun Gulati concerning the illegal groundwater extraction by hotels and guest houses in Paharganj. The tribunal on April 1 ordered that for regulation of withdrawal of water from borewells by these hotels, the piezometers are required to be installed so that the quantity of groundwater drawn by them can be ascertained and requisite charges can be levied.After it was found in July that only 165 establishments out of 555 hotels installed the piezometers, NGT on July 17 pulled up the water utility body and observed that “DJB failed to take prompt action in the matter.”In a report dated Sept 1, DJB said a total of 432 hotels or guest houses out of 555 establishments installed the required piezometers as on Aug 16.“The continued operation of borewells by such non-compliant establishments without installation of the prescribed monitoring device defeats the very purpose of monitoring and regulating groundwater extraction and amounts to non-compliance with the directions of this Tribunal,” said DJB. It added that it has asked the district administration to take immediate action against such units by sealing their borewells.
