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According to authorities informed of the development, construction projects in Delhi would soon need to produce an undertaking regarding the water supply they receive from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) while developing the structure in order to receive environmental clearance.
The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) in Delhi made the conclusion during two meetings that were held on June 26 and July 12. Minutes from both meetings were just recently made public. The organization is currently putting the finishing touches on a standard format for water assurance that will outline how much-treated water, freshwater, and groundwater, if any, would be used during the project and where it will be sourced.
The officials predicted that the change would shortly be put into effect.
When HT contacted DJB for comments on the situation, the water company did not react.
The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had argued for the requirement of having a guaranteed water supply for construction projects in May, citing the possibility of unlawful groundwater extraction where there is no water supply guaranteed. This prompted the SEAC decision. On July 4, the SEIAA also denied environmental approval for a children's hospital in Saket and asked the project's backer to provide further information on the water supply.
All building projects in Delhi must acquire approval and clearances from the SEIAA and SEAC in order to be given environmental clearance. The bodies take into account factors including the amount of traffic in the area, the project's effect on air pollution, the solid waste strategy, the water management plan, the number of trees being cut down and planted, and the availability of power, among others.
"Whenever the project is ready for operation, there is a chance that groundwater will be illegally extracted in the absence of concrete guarantees. The SEIAA deferred the case (Saket Hospital) and made the decision to request that the project proponent submit a firm DJB or other competent authority assurance regarding the supply of freshwater as well as any groundwater extraction during the project's operational stage.
