Non-Reportable

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

Civil Appeal Nos.9276-9290 of 2015

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. NDPL House.  .... Appellant(s)

Versus

Manoj Misra and Ors. Etc. Etc.                                              …. Respondent (s)

O   R   D   E   R   

1. Respondent  No.1  filed  Original  Application  No.6  of

2012 under Section 14 and 15 read with Section 18 (1) of

the National Green Tribunal  Act,  2010 before the National

Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi (hereinafter, ‘the

Tribunal’).   The subject  matter  of  the application was the

encroachment and dumping of building debris in the river

bed/flood plain and the natural water body of river Yamuna.

O.A.  No.300  of  2013  was  also  filed  by  Respondent  No.1

complaining of ongoing encroachment and the conversion of

Kushak  drain  into  parking  and  road-cum-parking  space,

conversion  of  land  use  of  the  Shahdara  Link  Drain  from

‘utility’  to  ‘commercial’,  and  proposed  construction  of

commercial  undertaking  in  the  form and nature  of  ‘Delhi

Haat’,  over  and above the drain.    The  grievance of  the

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Respondent No.1 was that the conversion of the drains has

reduced the easy and efficient drainage and compromised

the biodiversity present in and along the drains and their

ability to recharge ground water.  The Tribunal divided the

issues involved in the O.As. into:

a) Issues relating to the drains  (natural  or  artificial),

coverage  thereof  and  the  pollution  resulting

therefrom.

b) Steps  required  to  be  taken  for  ensuring  and

rendering river Yamuna free from pollution.

c) Restoration and beautification of the banks of river

Yamuna.  

2. Expert  Committees  were  constituted  by  the  Tribunal

which  submitted  their  reports  on  19.04.2014  and

13.10.2014.  After a careful scrutiny, the Tribunal accepted

the reports of the Expert Committees.  

3. The  O.As.  were  disposed  of  by  the  Tribunal  by  its

judgment dated 13.01.2015 in which several directions were

issued.   The  Tribunal  heard  several  Miscellaneous

Applications  that  were  filed  in  the  O.A.s  and  issued

directions for the phased implementation of the judgment

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dated 13.01.2015.  In this appeal, we are concerned with

directions 15, 16 and 17 which are as follows:

“15. The  cost  of  the  project  is  3659  crores  which

includes establishing of new STP’s as well as providing

of interceptors and sewer line in relation to the first

phase only.

16. Finances for the project shall be resourced inter

alia but definitely from the Ministry of Water Resources

under the National Mission for Clean Ganga.  DDA has

nearly  281  unauthorized  colonies  and  10.80  lakhs

residential flats in various parts of Delhi, thus, heavily

contributing  to  the  generation  of  the  sewage.   We

direct  Ministry  of  Urban  Development  under  Urban

Development  fund  to  require  DDA to  release  funds.

Delhi Jal Board and NCT, Delhi shall finance this project

primarily.

All  these  Ministries,  Delhi  Development

Authority, Delhi Jal Board and other authorities of NCT,

Delhi  would share the liability in the proportion that

may be determined by the Principle Committee under

this  Judgment keeping in view the total  cost  of  first

phase of the project.  

We direct NCT of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board and all

Municipal Corporations, Cantonment Board, electricity

companies like BSES and all other civic authorities to

require payment of environmental compensation from

every house hold which is generating sewage in the

entire NCT of Delhi on the Polluters Pay Principle.  It

will be irrespective of whether a house hold is sewered

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or not.  This would be equally applicable to the house

hold located in the unauthorized colonies.  

17. The monthly compensation payable by all  the

house  hold  in  the  NCT  Delhi  would  be  directly

proportionate  to  the  property  tax  or  water  bill

whichever  is  higher,  payable  by  such  house  hold.

Where the house hold or person is not paying water

bill,  property  tax  and  are  located  in  un-authorized

colonies, in that event, such house hold shall pay the

sum of Rs.100 or Rs. 500 per month as the case may

be.   This  amount  would  be  determined  by  the

concerned authority with reference to the construction

existing on the plot.   

The  payment  of  the  ‘environmental

compensation’ in terms of the above clauses shall be

added to electricity bills,  water bill  and the property

tax demand in order of preference by the respective

departments  which  will  transfer  the  money  to  NCT,

Delhi.”   

4. The  Appellant  which  is  an  electricity  distribution

licensee  filed  this  appeal  against  the  order  dated

08.05.2015 questioning the directions issued by the Tribunal

to  the  effect  the  environmental  compensation  has  to  be

collected  from  every  household  by  adding  it  to  the

electricity  bill.   By an order  dated 13.10.2015,  this  Court

stayed the operation of the judgment dated 13.01.2015 and

the  order  dated  08.05.2015  which  was  modified  on

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18.01.2016  by  restricting  the  interim  relief  only  to  the

extent  it  related  to  the  Appellant.   The  Tribunal  was

reviewing  the  progress  in  the  execution  of  the  directions

issued by  the Tribunal  by  its  judgment  dated 13.01.2015

periodically.   In  the  said  process  the  Tribunal  passed  an

order  dated  11.09.2019  which  dealt  with  levying  of

environmental  compensation.    The  Chief  Secretary,

Government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi

Municipal  Corporations  were  directed  to  introduce  the

regime  of  levy  of  sewerage  charges  within  two  months

including in areas where network have been laid (whole of

East Delhi).

5. The  Delhi  Electricity  Regulatory  Commission  (DERC)

filed its response to the appeal pursuant to the direction of

this  Court.     According  to  the  DERC,  the  revenue  of

distribution licensees from the sale of electricity cannot be

used  towards  the  collection  of  the  environment

compensation fees.  It was further stated on behalf of the

DERC  that  the  costs  incurred  by  the  Appellant  towards

collection of the environment compensation fee cannot be

passed on to the consumers in the form of a hike in tariff.

The  DERC  asserted  that  the  imposition  of  any  additional

tariff burden on the consumers resulting from costs incurred

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towards collection of environment compensation fee would

be contrary to the object and purpose of the Delhi Electricity

Reforms Act, 2000 and the Electricity Act, 2003.   

6. We  are  informed  that  the  directions  issued  by  the

Tribunal on 11.09.2019 could not be implemented due to the

interim order passed by this Court in the above appeals.  

7. The  final  judgment  in  O.A.  No.6  of  2012  and  O.A.

No.300  of  2013  was  passed  on  13.01.2015.   Later,  the

Tribunal  issued  direction  relating  to  the  imposition  of

environment fee on all  the households by an order dated

08.05.2015.   The  latest  order  passed  by  the  Tribunal  is

dated  11.09.2019.   Without  commenting  upon  the

correctness  or  otherwise  of  the  direction  issued  by  the

Tribunal  on  08.05.2015,  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  the

direction  issued  by  the  Tribunal  on  11.09.2019  shall  be

implemented and sewerage charges shall be introduced by

the Government of NCT of Delhi as directed by the Tribunal.

8. In  view  of  the  direction  issued  by  the  Tribunal  on

11.09.2019 for the introduction of levy of sewerage charges,

the direction issued by the Tribunal on 08.05.2015 stands

modified  and  need  not  be  implemented.  The  direction

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issued on 11.09.2019 shall be implemented within a period

of two months from today.  

9. The appeals are disposed of, accordingly.    

                ..…................................J                                              [L. NAGESWARA RAO]

                                            ..…................................J                                             [HEMANT GUPTA]

New Delhi, October  24, 2019

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