NGT notice to 17 hospitals over rainwater harvesting systems

New Delhi: Not satisfied with the functioning of rainwater harvesting system in their premises, the National Green Tribunal has issued notices to Medical Superintendents of 17 hospitals here.

Perusing a report filed by a joint inspection team, a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed them to show cause why they should not be directed to pay compensation for polluting and depleting the ground water levels and for restoration of the environment.

"We direct that notice be issued to all the 17 hospitals through Medical Superintendents and CEOs...They should also show cause as to why the Tribunal should not direct for appropriate proceedings against them in accordance with law," the bench said while seeking their replies by May 11.

The hotels against whom notices have been issued include B M Gupta Hospital Pvt Ltd, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute, Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Holy Family Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Indraprastha Medical Corp. Ltd. (Apollo Hospital Enterprises Ltd), Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Santom Hospital.

Other hospitals against whom notices have been issued are-- HAH Centenary Hospital (Majeedia Hospital), National Institute of Tuberculosis & Respiratory Disease, Rajan Babu Institute for Pulmonary Medicine & Tuberculosis Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, Safdarjung Hospial & V M M C, Jaipur Golden Hospital and ESI Hospital.

The Tribunal had constituted a joint inspection team of CPCB, CGWA and DPCC while directing them to check the status of rainwater harvesting system in hospitals, malls, commercial complex, hotels and RWAs in Delhi.

The Tribunal had earlier slapped a fine of Rs 5 each lakh on Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre here after a special team constituted by it found that the rainwater harvesting systems were non-functional.

It had also directed these hospitals to carry out all the rectifications and ensure that the rainwater harvesting systems operate satisfactorily and to their optimum capacity.

Besides them, the Tribunal had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on hospitals -- Shanti Mukund Hospital, Metro Hospital, Sundar Lal Jain Charitable Hospital, Rockland Hospital, MGS Super Specialty Hospital, Bensups Hospital, City Hospital, Deepak Memorial Hospital and Kukreja Hospital and Heart Centre.

The Tribunal was hearing a plea by Vikrant Kumar Tongad who had sought directions to DMRC to "install proper rainwater harvesting system" on all its existing as well as proposed and under-construction metro stations, tracks and depots.