Recently, the Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to ensure regular supply of fresh drinking water to  Bhalswa resettlement colony here which is located near a landfill.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula granted 1 month time to file a detailed status report in the matter.

“In the meanwhile, DJB shall ensure regular supply of fresh drinking water to Bhalswa resettlement colony,” the bench said.

In the said matter, the Delhi HC was hearing a petition seeking to provide basic amenities, including sanitation, drinking water, health and education services, to the inhabitants of Bhalswa resettlement colony which is located near the landfill leaving the whole area polluted.

Earlier, the single-headed bench sought responses from the Delhi government, municipal corporation, DJB, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other authorities on the petition.

During the hearing on Friday, the counsel for DJB submitted before the court that the board has ensured regular supply of fresh drinking water to the colony and in case of any interruptions in the pipeline supply, it supplies water tankers in the area, as and when the need arises.

The high court also granted four weeks’ time to NHRC and other authorities to file their replies to the petition.

Bhalswa resettlement colony is situated in North West part of Delhi, adjacent to Bhalswa landfill and around 20,000 people are residing in the colony.

The plea said resettlement in Bhalswa was done in 2000 to 2002 from 11 places in Delhi — Gautampuri Yamuna Pusta, East of Kailash Gadhi, Jahangirpuri, Gopalpur, Seelampur, Dakshinpuri, Preet Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Rohini, ISBT and Nizammuddin Barapullah.

Petitioner Pushpa, a Delhi resident, said the purpose of resettlement is to ensure better and systematic way of living to the resettled people.

Resettlement by the government is done under a planned manner in any area where the very foundation is to provide essential and basic amenities to the resettled people, she said.

However, the residents of the colony have been struggling to attain basic amenities like clean potable water, drainage and sanitation and education even after more than 20 years of resettlement, the plea said.

The plea, filed through advocates Varun Mudgil and Manmohan Singh, alleged the authorities have been ignorant to their legal duty which has led to deaths of many people and children, including an infant.