New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed all Delhi government schools and private schools and colleges to install rainwater harvesting systems in their premises within two months at their own cost.
It also warned that any institution failing to install the rainwater harvesting system within the stipulated period would be liable to pay environment compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
The direction came, while disposing of a plea filed by Mahesh Chandra Saxena, who claimed that the government departments, educational institutions and residential societies have either not installed rainwater harvesting systems or have systems which were non-functional.
The green panel further asked schools and colleges to approach a committee constituted by it, which will inspect the premises and grant permission to institutions for operating the system.
The committee comprising senior officials from the education department, Delhi Jal Board, PWD, representative of Central Groundwater Authority and others, was constituted and asked to deal with the applications from the schools and colleges.
A bench, headed by tribunal chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said that, “The committee shall meet twice a month and deal with the applications received from the schools and colleges expeditiously.”
“If it is not possible to install a rainwater harvesting system, the institution should approach the panel within a week from Thursday. The committee will then inspect the premises. Upon inspection, if it feels that there is no possibility of setting up such a system, then the panel may issue an exemption certificate,” the bench said.
According to the tribunal, the institution that gets an exemption certificate shall be subject to environment compensation, which will be used for setting up rainwater harvesting systems in possible nearby areas, including parks.
The green panel directed the director of the Delhi education department and the DJB to issue notices to all the government and private schools and colleges within three days from Thursday.
