Item No.15 Court No. 1

ORDER

1. This MA has been registered on the basis of the report dated 19.07.2024 submitted by the DPCC in pursuance to the order of the Tribunal dated 13.02.2024, passed in MA No. 118 of 2023, in O.A. No. 132 of 2023.

2. In the O.A., registered on the basis of the letter petition, the grievance against discharge of untreated engine oil from the electric locomotive shed Tughlakabad, Delhi into the drain going through Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area in Agra Canal was considered and the O.A. was disposed of by order dated 28.04.2023 directing as follows:-

“2. Having regard to above allegation, we consider it appropriate to direct that the grievance be looked into by the General Manager, Northern Railways in coordination with concerned officers. Action taken report may be filed with the Registrar General of this Tribunal within two months by e-mail at judicial-ngt@gov.in preferably in the form of searchable PDF/OCR Support PDF and not in the form of Image PDF. If found necessary, the Registrar General may place the matter before the Bench for further directions.
Subject to above, the application is disposed of.”

3. On the basis of the report filed by the Railways in compliance of the above order, MA No. 118 of 2023 was registered and that MA was disposed of vide order dated 13.02.2024 by a detailed order directing as under:-

“10. Status report on behalf of DPCC dated 29.01.2024 has been filed disclosing that in respect of Electric Locomotive Shed Tughlakabad pumps about 40 Killoliter/day water is sourced from the tubewells installed in the premises for which permission from DJB was not shown.

11. Hence DJB is required to look into the issue of existence of Tubewell without due permissions/NOC and take appropriate action in accordance with law.

12. We also find that in the report dated 29.09.2023 heavy blackish effluent was found flowing into the drain from Okhla but no response in this regard has been filed by the MCD.

13. Hence, DPCC is directed to take the water sample of the concerned municipal drain from the point after the location of the Locomotive shed and submit the analysis report before the Registrar General of the Tribunal within two months and if found necessary the matter will be listed for considered before the Bench.”

4. MA No. 118/2023 was disposed of by order dated 13.02.2024, issuing certain directions including the direction to the DPCC to take the water samples from the concerned municipal drain from the point after the location of the locomotive shade and submit the analysis report.

5. On the basis of the report of the DPCC dated 19.07.2024, the present MA was registered as the said report had disclosed that the samples were not meeting the requisite parameters.

6. In this MA, the fresh exercise was undertaken and the DPCC has filed report dated 02.07.2026 disclosing that EDC was imposed upon the Northern Railway which was challenged before the Appellate Authority and the matter was remanded back to the DPCC by the Appellate Authority and a Review Application is filed by the DPCC. In respect of the compliance by the locomotive shade, the conclusions in the said report is as follows:-

Conclusion:

“i), The diesel locomotive shed has modified its ETP and introduced new oil skimmer, new aeration chamber, settling chamber and dual media filter.

ii). The facility has installed STP of 100 KLD capacity for treatment of the sewage.

iii). The facility needs to install flowmeter at the outlet and a dedicated sludge drying system for STP.”

7. The learned counsel representing the Northern Railway has submitted that the flow meter at the outlet and dedicated sludge drying system for STP will be installed within 8 weeks.

8. It has been submitted that the Tughlakabad locomotive shade can obtain the STP/CETP treated water from Okla STP and utilize it for the washing purposes. This suggestion will be duly explored and appropriate decision/action will be taken by Respondent Northern Railway