DPCC to revive real-time source apportionment study, audit five-star hotels for groundwater use

Time of India

4 days ago

New Delhi: Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has planned to revive the supersite of the real-time source apportionment study in partnership with Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
Previously, IIT Kanpur operated the site until their contract concluded in 2023. DPCC has also decided to conduct an audit of five-star hotels in Delhi to assess the actual usage of groundwater.
The real-time source apportionment study was conducted by DPCC in association with IIT Kanpur from Nov 2022 to 2023. The methodology of the study was found to be "unsatisfactory" by DPCC. Last year, the committee took over the infrastructure and equipment, including the supersite (lab) at Rouse Avenue and a mobile van that can collect data from various locations.
"The board directed that CAQM be pursued to develop a well-validated methodology through national-level experts. The board desired that the environment department be kept informed about the progress. It was decided that the running of the supersite and mobile lab be expedited in consultation with all at the earliest," according to the latest minutes of the DPCC's board meeting, which was held on July 18.
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The environment department has been informed about the progress.
During the board meeting, it was also decided that there should be more focused inspection by the DPCC regarding the reuse of water in hotels, instead of analysing the data provided by hotel owners.
TOI earlier reported that data analysis of 40, mostly five-star hotels, by DPCC showed that out of 7,708 KLD of wastewater being treated at the respective STPs of these hotels, 760 KLD of treated water was being discharged into the sewer.
However, the remaining treated water was utilised for non-drinking purposes, including flushing and horticulture.
"Ground reality needs to be verified. Hotels may not have separate pipelines for flushing, etc., which need to be checked during inspection. A proper report needs to be prepared for the analysis of water consumption. It was decided that a few hotels be audited in detail for the purpose of study (not for regulatory purposes) of water mass balance," stated the minutes of the meeting.
Anil Gupta, a member of the DPCC's board, said, "The entire wastewater from the hotels should be utilised so that there is zero liquid discharge."