Northern Railway has objected to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) showcause notice proposing a levy of ₹40,000 per day on the discharge of untreated wastewater into the Okhla drain by the diesel locomotive shed in Tughlakabad, terming it “unjustified”.

In an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal, the DPCC said “it issued a showcause notice to Northern Railway on April 17 for imposition of environmental compensation at ₹40,000 per day due to discharge of wastewater without requisite treatment and also for operating (the locomotive shed) without valid consent”. The fine date would commence from the date of the first inspection on December 18, 2023, it said.

Northern Railway claims that it had been discharging wastewater after proper
treatment.

According to the DPCC, it had in January last year directed Northern Railway to modify its effluent treatment plant and install a sewage treatment unit at the Tughlakabad shed. The treatment plants were installed on May 15 this year.

Pinning the blame on local authorities for discharging untreated sewage into the drain, Northern Railway told the NGT that the fine was unjustified and excessive. It also blamed the DPCC for sitting on the consent-to-operate file for the shed.