Engineering department officials from the Public Works Department, Delhi Jal Board, New Delhi Municipal Council, the Central Ground Water Board and the Delhi government’s environment department inspected the rainwater harvesting system at the AIIMS flyover on Saturday morning.
NEW DELHI: Engineering department officials from the Public Works Department, Delhi Jal Board, New Delhi Municipal Council, the Central Ground Water Board and the Delhi government’s environment department inspected the rainwater harvesting system at the AIIMS flyover on Saturday morning. Conducted on the direction of the National Green Tribunal, which, in turn, was reacting to a TOI report on May 7, the inspection has only confirmed what had been reported—there is sewage in most of the 10 rainwater harvesting reservoirs at the flyover.
The first one inspected had disposable plates, bottles, snack packets, food items and some water. Everybody agreed that it needs maintenance.
PWD officials said the layer of junk is simply skimmed off when the water level rises. There was some discussion on whether the inlet into the tank should have traps to catch the garbage but these could also lead to the choking of stormwater drains and flooding of roads.
The stormwater drains running alongside Aurobindo Marg are, mysteriously, carrying water and waste—biodegradable and non-biodegradable. When it’s not raining, they ought to be dry. Since the stormwater drains seem to be the source of the sewage in the tanks, the DJB and PWD spent a significant amount of time trying to pin the responsibility onto each other and called up a range of other officials to buttress their respective cases. PWD claimed that the sewage in the stormwater drains on the AIIMS/South Extension—side of the flyover is from leakages in DJB pipes.
“We have written to the DJB several times about this,” said an official. DJB’s inspectors countered that there is no major line of either water or sewage in the area. “The major line from Haiderpur doesn’t come here at all and turns away from Bhikaji Cama Place,” said one official adding that the breach could be in PWD’s horticulture department’s water supply. The CGWB officer took a mouthful from a pipe being used for watering the grass to test it.
There was also confusion about the status of the landscaped spaces enclosed by the flyover, whether they are still meant to be tended by the private company or have been restored to the care of the government. PWD and NDMC were both criticized for the lack of maintenance.
However, they are not all in dire conditions. The one closest to Safdarjung Hospital is dry but still has some waste at the bottom; the one close to Dilli Haat is both clean and dry. Compounding the problem is the waste generated by the dozens who’ve made the AIIMS flyover home. PWD officials argue that they have a tough time maintaining the area—the covers of the drains, the lids of the tanks—because drug addicts break these and pilfer the metal on them.
The committee appointed by the NGT for inspection will also be responsible for ensuring proper working of similar projects in flyovers across town. The next hearing on the case is on May 25.
