NMCG orders Hry govt to fix drain to prevent Delhi water contamination

The NMCG has ordered Haryana to urgently cover a drain to prevent sewage overflow into a water source for Delhi, amid concerns over fish deaths in the Yamuna.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has directed Haryana to urgently cover diversion drain number 6 (DD-6) to prevent sewage and effluents from overflowing into diversion drain number 8 (DD-8), which brings drinking water to Delhi, the agency has said in an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Haryana has also been instructed to share monthly water quality reports of DD-8 with the NMCG.

NMCG orders Hry govt to fix drain to prevent Delhi water contamination

The affidavit was submitted in response to the tribunal taking suo motu cognisance of a July 2024 media report that highlighted thousands of fish deaths in the Yamuna near Burari in north Delhi. Similar fish deaths were reported in May this year. The NGT had last year sought reports from all agencies concerned after the article stated that chemical-laden water from factories had led to the mass deaths of fish.

To be sure, the DJB told the NGT that improper maintenance of Sonipat’s drain number 6, which is choked with garbage, silt and effluents, is contaminating nearby drain 8 that carries treated water used for drinking in Delhi. The two drains run parallel, and frequent overflows from drain 6 leach into drain 8, causing water quality problems, the DJB said in its March 4 submission.

According to the NMCG’s affidavit, dated October 28 and uploaded recently, the agency convened a joint meeting on October 13, 2025, with officials of the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ascertain the cause of the fish deaths and formulate measures to prevent their recurrence. The NMCG added that an action plan has been proposed following the meeting.

“To eliminate overflow from DD-6 to DD-8, the Haryana government is laying a dedicated pipeline or conduit to cover the DD-6 stretch where overlapping with drain number eight occurs. Haryana shall provide the timeline for completion of the ongoing work of covering DD-6. Work shall be completed on an urgent basis to eliminate any possibility of pollution,” the affidavit states.

It added that Haryana will include water quality monitoring reports of DD-8 in its monthly progress reports to the NMCG. The NMCG further said that the CPCB will conduct quarterly joint monitoring at three locations, including the point where DD-8 meets the Yamuna and along the river’s stretch. “Sampling locations will be finalised in consultation with the CPCB,” the affidavit noted.

In September 2025, the NGT had criticised both Delhi and Haryana governments, as well as central and state pollution control agencies, for failing to take responsibility for recent fish deaths in the Yamuna’s Delhi stretch. The tribunal had directed the CPCB to convene a joint meeting and prepare a plan to avoid future occurrences.

The issue of sewage and effluents contaminating DD-8 had earlier been flagged before the tribunal in March 2024 in a separate matter. The NGT had then set Haryana a 12-month deadline to implement long-term remedial measures in respect of DD-6 and DD-8.

[ANY COMMENTS FROM HARYANA GOVERNMENT, HPCB, DPCC OR CPCB?]