Sewage Plant In Residential Area? Delhi High Court Seeks DDA Status Report On Vasant Kunj STP

The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Development Authority to file a status report with respect to alleged illegal installation and operation of a sewage treatment plant (STP) within a "dense" housing complex in city's Vasant Kunj area.

A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked the authority to respond in 4 weeks time and posted the matter for consideration on August 07.

The PIL filed by a retired government engineer states that the housing complex in question is already covered by the city-level sewerage network and therefore, the impugned STP is not required. Moreover, the persistent foul odor emanating from the STP in a residential area constitutes an environmental nuisance, impairing right to a healthy and dignified living of people. It states,

"Decentralised or community-level STPs under Master Plan for Delhi–2021 are voluntary/ permissive, and cannot be imposed mandatorily in the absence of statutory or planning mandate, upon a residential colony already served by the city sewerage system."

The plea also opposes entrustment of sewage system to the DDA, stating that the Delhi Jal Board Act, 1998 entrusts the exclusive statutory function of planning, design, setting up, operation and maintenance of sewerage works in Delhi upon the Delhi Jal Board.

"The Delhi Development Authority, being an instrumentality of the State and not a “public undertaking” or other entity contemplated under subSection 9 (2) of the DJB Act, could neither assume nor be entrusted with these functions," it further states.

Case Title: ANUP KUMAR RAMPAL V/s DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY & ORS.

Case No.: W.P.(C)-1139/2026