New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS): The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the environment ministry to collect samples of "contaminated" water in a green forest area in Tughlakabad over a plea alleging that birds and animals were dying because of poisonous and polluted water released from illegal factories.
A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the ministry to get the samples tested and file a report on the issue.
"Environment ministry shall draw samples of water alleged to be contaminated in the area and shall submit the chemical report," the bench said.
It asked advocate Jasmeet Singh, appearing for the environment ministry, to go to the area and collect samples of water and get it tested.
The court was hearing a plea seeking clean water for animals and birds in the city.
The plea by Manoj Kumar said animals and birds in the capital were deprived of clean water to drink.
It said water treatment plants should be set up for purifying polluted water to save birds, animals, trees and the environment.
It said there was a green forest area in Tughlakabad on Delhi Development Authority land, and residents of the area were running illegal factories and using chemicals and their filthy, polluted, hazardous discharged water was flowing to the forest.
An "artificial lake" has been created and the polluted water "is spreading in the whole forest", it said.
Animals, including monkeys, peacocks, deer, and birds were drinking the polluted water and were dying on a large scale, the plea said.
It also said a particular community has started burying bodies in the forest area and the same is being converted into a graveyard which was also polluting and spoiling the forest environment.
The plea also sought plantation of 500 new trees.