Delhi HC grants 4 weeks to Centre, govt to respond on rainwater harvesting

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted four weeks' time to the Centre, Delhi govt and several local authorities here to file their stand on the issue of rainwater harvesting

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted four weeks' time to the Centre, Delhi government and several local authorities here to file their stand on the issue of rainwater harvesting and easing traffic jams in the national capital during monsoon.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad gave time to the authorities, while noting that barring a few of them, others have not filed their status reports.

Respondents are granted four weeks' time to file their status reports. List on August 17, the bench said.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated on its own, while noting that there was lack of rainwater harvesting efforts in the city.

In June, a bench of Justices Jasmeet Singh and Dinesh Kumar Sharma had taken suo motu cognizance of issues based on a news report, saying that it is a matter of public importance and directed authorities to file their status report.

The court had issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, Delhi Police, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Cantonment Board and Flood Irrigation Department.

Let the parties file status reportindicating (a) the steps taken by agencies to store and harvest rainwater; (b) the steps undertaken to address and ease traffic jams/snarls in Delhi during monsoon and other periods, the court had said.

In an earlier order, the bench had noted the lack of rainwater harvesting efforts in the city and observed that there are huge traffic snarls in Delhi which according to us can easily be controlled and regulated instantly through rainwater management as well as with the assistance of Google Maps which shows traffic jams.