The National Green Tribunal has rebuked the authorities concerned, including the Delhi government, for passing the buck instead of disclosing which body was responsible for regulating groundwater extraction. Ruing that it was an "unfortunate situation" where the authorities were unaware of their duties and responsibilities, the green panel directed the chief secretary of Delhi to find which authority regulated groundwater extraction.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, while hearing the matter about illegal groundwater extraction here, said that the DJB, Delhi government and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) were asked which authority is responsible for checking the illegal extraction of groundwater, but none could answer the query.

While the Delhi government's counsel did not know which officer was responsible, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said the responsibility was with the District Level Advisory Committee and the DPCC said the deputy commissioner (revenue) was responsible, noted the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel.

"It is a very unfortunate situation. The matter has been pending since long and even after a lapse of so many years, authorities are not aware of their duties and responsibilities and they are shifting the responsibility to each other without clearly disclosing as to which authority is responsible for regulating the groundwater extraction in Delhi," said the tribunal in its order dated August 22.

"In these circumstances, we direct the Chief Secretary, NCT Delhi to ascertain the authority's responsibility keeping in view the observation made above and to direct the concerned authority to file a report before the tribunal with regard to the action taken/proposed to be taken against the violators," it added. The matter has been posted for further proceedings on September 3.