After groundwater scheme ‘scam', Delhi govt drafting new borewell policy, green tribunal told
called the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) to extract groundwater a "scam", Delhi govt, in a new affidavit, informed the tribunal that a new borewell policy was being framed in consultation with
and other govt departments.A plea was filed in NGT by activist Varun Gulati against the illegal drawing of groundwater by guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
In Nov 2023, Delhi Pollution Control Committee informed NGT that of the total 536 guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj, 442 were found to be extracting groundwater.
However, notices were initially issued to only 257 guesthouses as 185 were found to be extracting groundwater under Delhi Jal Board's VDS.After NGT questioned VDS in Nov last year, the counsel for Delhi govt informed the tribunal that VDS was not framed but was discussed in a meeting in 2013, and a public advertisement was issued for it based on the meeting. In Jan, NGT asked the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and ascertain the loss from the unregulated drawing of groundwater in the name of the "non-existing" VDS in Paharganj.In a report dated May 5, Delhi govt said, "The council of ministers has also directed to prepare a new borewell policy to be placed before them for consideration at the earliest. Accordingly, the new borewell policy is being prepared in consultation with Central Ground Water Authority, DJB, revenue department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board." It added that the new policy would be submitted to NGT after necessary approvals.The affidavit stated that the additional chief secretary (revenue) would conduct an inquiry, on behalf of the chief secretary, on the unregulated withdrawal of water in the name of the non-existing VDS. "The outcome of the inquiry will be submitted to the tribunal," it added.Govt also said Rs 559.88 lakh was levied towards sewer and water cess charges on guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj. Besides, there is an outstanding amount of Rs 556.39 lakh, for which notices have been issued to the hotels/guesthouses by DJB, it said."To address the extent of damage caused to the environment and the effect of such an illegal action on the groundwater of the area concerned, notices were issued to 536 hotels by DPCC on Aug 4, 2021. Four hundred and twenty-three hotels or guesthouses submitted environmental damage compensation. Fourteen hotels have not deposited EDC while four hotels have partially deposited it. The penalty recovered from violating hotels amounts to Rs 4.16 crore to date," said the report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Row over Delhi CM's phone allowance cap: Kejriwal, Sisodia bought high-end devices during AAP's rule, says minister
The political row over the revised phone reimbursement cap for the Delhi Chief Minister and Cabinet escalated, with the BJP accusing former AAP ministers of purchasing expensive phones, exceeding the allotted amount, during their tenure. This came after AAP Delhi convenor and former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had attacked the BJP government, saying that it is ignoring the promises made to women during the Assembly elections and giving importance to purchasing expensive gadgets. On July 9, the General Administration Department in Delhi revised the ceiling for purchase of mobile handsets — for the chief minister, the upper limit is Rs 1.50 lakh, while it is Rs 1.25 lakh for the ministers — after 12 years. On Thursday, senior BJP leader and Power Minister Ashish Sood shared phone bills and receipts of mobile phones purchased by former CM Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and other ministers — amounting to lakhs and exceeding the allocated reimbursement limits. Waving some documents, Sood said that as per the 2013 order, the cap for purchasing a phone set for the CM was Rs 50,000 while it was Rs 45,000 for the ministers. He alleged that the then chief ministers Kejriwal, Atishi and ministers Sisodia, Bharadwaj and others violated the rules and purchased high-end mobile phones beyond the permitted limit. He also accused the previous AAP regime of pushing government officials to cover the cost of the mobile phones. Addressing a press conference, Sood said, 'A few days ago, the AAP made a comment questioning the current government over the revision of phone reimbursement cap and asked vikas kiska ho raha?… We are replying to this because it is a question about an institution… These days, mobile phones are not a luxury… All of us work (on our) phones… The CM and ministers receive a lot of complaints through WhatsApp and e-mail…' Taking a dig at the AAP, he claimed, 'I feel that even Atishi and Bharadwaj are tired of their leaders Kejriwal and Sisodia, that is why they are highlighting these issues — so that we can expose their reality before the public.' According to an official document, between 2015 and 2022, Kejriwal bought the iPhone 6s Plus and 7 Plus, and iPhone 12 and 13 Pro Max worth a total of Rs 4,53,800. Sisodia purchased phones worth Rs 5.23 lakh between 2017 and 2022. 'All these exceeded the Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 limits… Kejriwal's office even sought post-facto approval for the excessive expenditure, stating in internal notes that the amount spent is on the higher side…,' alleged Sood. He also accused Atishi of buying phones worth lakhs. The minister alleged that Atishi split the bill into two payments — one for Rs 45,000 and the second for Rs 89,000 — to 'avoid scrutiny'. 'Bharadwaj bought an iPhone for Rs 61,000 in 2023 but was reimbursed only Rs 45,000. He assumed his bill would also be passed like those of senior leaders — but that didn't happen,' Sood alleged. On Tuesday, Bharadwaj had alleged, 'The BJP had promised Rs 2,500 per month to lakhs of women starting March 8. Yet not a single rupee has been disbursed. When it comes to buying Rs 1.5 lakh-worth phones and sanctioning unlimited bills for themselves, the BJP acts without delay. But when it comes to women, they hide behind committees.' The phone reimbursement cap has been revised after 12 years, officials had said, adding that the last revision took place in 2013. Earlier, the ceiling was set at around Rs 50,000. 'Though the previous cap was set at Rs 50,000, the CM and ministers in the previous AAP regime have bought expensive iPhones which went above the allocated allowance, touching more than Rs 1 lakh. Viewing the current market price and value of phone sets, the department decided to revise the amount,' a senior officer had said on Tuesday.
Hans India
23 minutes ago
- Hans India
Gujarat approves eco-friendly Tehsil panchayat offices in 11 districts
Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved the construction of new Tehsil Panchayat offices in 11 tehsils across the state, aiming to strengthen local governance infrastructure with a focus on sustainability and public convenience. These new offices will feature solar rooftop systems and rainwater harvesting structures, aligning with the Centre's 'Catch the Rain' campaign and the state's green energy goals. The new buildings will be set up in tehsils across Dang, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Chhota Udepur, Patan, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Mahisagar, and Rajkot districts, with a sanctioned budget of Rs 12.45 crore. Additionally, Rs 20.55 crore has been allocated for the ongoing construction of panchayat offices in six other tehsils, including Lathi, Kunkavav, Veraval, Deesa, Mahuva, and Gandhinagar. Currently, Gujarat has 211 tehsil panchayat offices. Of these, 104 already use solar rooftop systems, with installations underway in another 27. Rainwater harvesting systems are operational in 31 offices. The 2025–26 state budget has earmarked Rs 65 crore to modernise and expand tehsil and district panchayat infrastructure. The Panchayat and Rural Development Department has issued formal guidelines for the new constructions, emphasising adherence to safety standards and the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) norms. The initiative is expected to boost administrative efficiency, reduce electricity costs, and enhance public service delivery at the grassroots level. Tehsil panchayats in Gujarat serve as key administrative units in the state's three-tier Panchayati Raj system, working between the village (gram) and district (zilla) levels. They are responsible for implementing rural development schemes, managing local infrastructure like roads, water supply, and sanitation, overseeing health and education services in rural areas, and coordinating welfare programs. These bodies also facilitate public grievance redressal and ensure government benefits reach the grassroots. Their role is crucial in strengthening decentralised governance and improving the delivery of essential services in Gujarat's rural and semi-rural regions.
Economic Times
23 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Rs 700 crore IndiQube IPO to open on July 23
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads IndiQube Spaces IPO proceeds Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads IndiQube financials IndiQube IPO lead managers The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of workplace solutions provider IndiQube Spaces Limited will open on Wednesday July 23, Wednesday and close on July 25, Friday, company's Red Herring Prospectus (RHP) showed. The public issue comprises a fresh issue of Rs 650 crores and an Offer for Sale (OFS) of Rs 50 window for anchor investors to bid for the shares will open on Tuesday, July Rishi Das and Meghna Agarwal will offload shares worth Rs 25 crores each, the RHP company has proposed to utilise the fresh issue towards funding capex towards new centers to Rs 462.6 crores. It will use Rs 93 crores towards the repayment of debt while the remaining proceeds on general corporate IndiQubeIndiQube is a workplace technology stack MiQube that provides one-touch access to a variety of services, including booking meeting rooms, ordering meals among others and has surpassed 1 million in transaction volume in served 769 clients as of March 31, 2025 out of which 44% clients are Global Capability Centers. The company follows an enterprise-first strategy owing to which 63% of its occupied area comes from clients who have leased 300+ seats. Further, 44% of its revenue is generated from multi center clients. Its diverse client mix includes Enphase, Myntra, Zerodha, NoBroker, upGrad, Siemens , Juspay, Perfios, Moglix, Ninjacart, Narayana Health and Allegis to name a of March 31, 2025, the company manages a portfolio of 8.40 million square foot across 115 properties in 15 cities with a total seating capacity of 186,719, growing from 74 centers and 4.94 million square foot. in March 2023. Its AUM has grown at a CAGR of 30% over the last 2 years. According to CBRE, Bengaluru is the largest flex market in India. IndiQube, with a portfolio of 65 centers spanning 5.43 million square foot, is amongst the leading operators in company reported a total income of Rs 1,103 crores in fiscal 2025, recording a CAGR of 35% from Fiscal 2023. The company's FY25 EBITDA stood at Rs 660 crores with an RoCE of 34.21%, cash EBIT margins of 10.81% with an occupancy rate of 86.50% in steady state centers. The company's revenue from Value Added Services has increased from Rs 68 crores in fiscal 2023 to Rs 135 crores in fiscal 2025 growing at a CAGR of 40.69%. Nearly 13% of its revenue originated from VAS in per IGAAP accounting standards, the company has been PAT positive and has paid income tax to the tune of Rs 7.7 crores and Rs 8.4 crores in FY24 and FY25 respectively. The company has also received a CRISIL A+/Stable rating with consistent upgrades over the last 3 Capital has been a key investor in the firm since 2018. In two funding rounds during 2018 & 2022, the company has raised a total equity of Rs 324 crores led by WestBridge Capital with Rs 190 crores followed by promoter investment of Rs 131 crores and the remaining from angel investor Ashish workspaces are becoming an integral part of the commercial office market. The rise of hybrid work models, prudence in the use of capital, the need for flexibility, workspace planning, and a shift in work culture are amongst the factors fuelling the demand for flexible Book Running Lead Managers to the offer are ICICI Securities Limited and JM Financial Limited The equity shares are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE.
