NHRC calls for reports from the Centre, Delhi Government and CPCB on highly contaminated groundwater near four landfill sites in NCR

New Delhi, May 15 (LAB) The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, Secretary, Union Jal Shakti Ministry, and Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on the media report that groundwater is getting contaminated dangerously near the landfill sites Bhalswa, Ghazipur, Okhla and the engineered sanitary landfill at Bawana in Delhi.

The NHRC said that groundwater contamination is a major threat to the health and environment and directed the respondent parties to file detailed reports in six weeks regarding this issue.

The NHRC directed the respondents to file reports which should also include the steps being taken or proposed to be taken to deal with the problem.

According to the media report, carried out on May 9, 2022, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee collected samples from several sites near each landfill site in 2021, which were found to be highly contaminated and far beyond the desirable limit.

The experts have reportedly opined that the consumption of water with a high TDS level for longer periods could be harmful to human health. The primary source of contamination is said to be that in the groundwater un-segregated waste is being dumped at the landfill sites where the waste is reportedly leaching into the soil./LAB/SNG/