New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed authorities to ensure proper and permanent sealing of illegal borewells operating in parts of Delhi, after finding that earlier sealing efforts were ineffective and allowed extraction of groundwater. In an order dated Feb 20, a bench headed by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava heard an execution plea in a matter arising from complaints by a Rohini resident regarding unauthorised borewells in Rohini and Shakti Nagar. The applicant flagged several premises in Sector 7, Rohini and Prem Nagar and Shakti Nagar areas where borewells allegedly operated without mandatory permissions. Last year, on Jan 28, the tribunal directed the concerned sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to examine the grievances and take appropriate action expeditiously upon receipt of a detailed representation. During the latest hearing, counsel for the SDMs informed the tribunal that borewells at multiple locations were sealed on different dates between Dec 2025 and Feb 2026. However, the tribunal noted that photographs placed on record showed that the sealing was not proper and borewells could still be operated. In response, counsel for the SDM, Model Town, submitted that the borewells would now be sealed by removing the submersible pumps and plugging them with concrete. The exercise is to be completed within two weeks. The Tribunal directed the SDM, Model Town, to file a further compliance report within three weeks and listed the matter for April 1.
