NGT Issues Notices Over Untreated Engine Oil Discharge in Tughlakabad

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the authorities of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and two other agencies regarding the discharge of untreated engine oil from an electric locomotive shed in Tughlakabad. The NGT has also directed the Indian Railways to submit a fresh report on the issue.

The NGT was hearing a matter involving the release of oil from the shed into a drain that passes through the Mohan Cooperative Industrial area and eventually joins the Agra canal in southeast Delhi. A bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel revealed that in April of this year, the tribunal had instructed the general manager of Northern Railway to investigate the matter and submit an action taken report.

After reviewing a report by the Indian Railways released on September 29, the bench observed that the concerned authorities did not furnish “full particulars” about various aspects, such as the extent of effluent discharge, water quality analysis, and the available effluent treatment facilities. In response, the bench, in its order on December 4, directed the railways to present a fresh report explicitly addressing these aspects.

The NGT included the member secretary of the DPCC, CEO of New Okhla Industrial Development Area (NOIDA), and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner as parties in the case. The tribunal issued notices to these respondents, instructing them to file their responses or reports within eight weeks. The case is scheduled for further proceedings on February 13, 2024.