Voluntary disclosure scheme for borewells 'kind of scam': NGT

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New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Hundreds of hotels or guest houses in Delhi's Paharganj area have been illegally drawing groundwater for over 10 years in the name of the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, the National Green Tribunal has observed and directed the chief secretary to take action.

In an order on January 29, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said the scheme was a "kind of a scam" which aside from causing loss to the state exchequer, adversely impacted the environment. The scheme reportedly granted concessions to hotels for operating borewells.

"This confirms our apprehension expressed earlier that some kind of scam has taken place which has resulted in not only a huge loss of revenue and loss of public money but also illegal, unregulated withdrawal of groundwater by hundreds of hotels/guest houses in Paharganj area depleting the groundwater level and adversely affecting the environment," it added.

Tracing the genesis of the scheme, the tribunal said despite the VDS not being framed by the government, a committee chaired by the then environment secretary, in a meeting on April 21, 2014, decided to issue an advertisement in newspapers for voluntary disclosures of tubewells or borewells.

The tribunal noted that subsequently a public notice was issued and voluntary disclosure applications were accepted.

It said a "serious" issue arose post the voluntary disclosures by the hotels or guest houses as no water meters to measure the volume of water extracted were installed and no charges were levied.

"Thus, hundreds of hotels or guest houses in the Paharganj area for more than 10 years are drawing groundwater without any regulation, measurement or payment of any charges," the tribunal said.

The NGT said what made the matter worse was drawing water was allowed by the authorities in the name of the non-existent VDS scheme.

It directed Delhi’s chief secretary to conduct an inquiry, ascertain the extent of loss of exchequer on account of such unregulated withdrawal and ascertain the extent of damage caused to the environment.

The chief secretary was also directed to "fix responsibility" of the officers responsible for such unregulated withdrawal of water in the name of non-existing VDS and for whose dereliction of duty, such illegality took place. The tribunal directed the chief secretary to submit an action taken report within three months.

The matter was posted on May 8.

The green body was hearing the matter over the illegal extraction of groundwater by 536 hotels in Paharganj. PTI MNR AMK