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Najafgarh drain pollution | How can PMO be party to a case, it has other things to do: HC on plea seeking information on remedial action taken

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the inclusion of the Prime Minister's Office in a plea filed around the Najafgarh drain pollution, and directed the Delhi government to respond to Najafgarh residents’ concerns.

najafgarh drain pollution caseThe petitioners have sought that the respondent authorities be directed to furnish information about remedial action taken against the increasing pollution. (File Photo)

While hearing a petition – in which the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has been made a party – seeking information on remedial action taken against pollution in and around Najafgarh drain, the Delhi High Court on Friday orally inquired how can the PMO be made a party to the plea while stating that the “PMO has other things to do”.

Resident welfare associations of residential societies located in and around the drain, including CC Colony Development Association, Shakti Nagar Extension Security and Development Society, Integrated Public Welfare Organisation and others, have highlighted in a petition that air and water pollution in and around Najafgarh drain pose a risk to people’s health and affect the right to life of those residing on the banks of the drain.

The petitioners, through advocate Mukesh Gupta, have sought that the respondent authorities be directed to furnish information about remedial action taken against the increasing pollution.

Among the respondent parties in the petition are the PMO, National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Pollution Control Board, Forest and Climate Change, Delhi Irrigation department chief engineers, Delhi Jal Board CEO, Municipal Corporation of Delhi commissioner, and Delhi Pollution Control Committee secretary member.

Justice Mini Pushkarna, while briefly hearing the plea, orally remarked to the petitioner, “How can you make PMO a party? PMO is never a party… PMO has other things to do, not like this before court.”

According to the petitioners, they had written to the PMO in January seeking details on remedial action taken in respect of the pollution, following which their representation was forwarded to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which was further forwarded to the Delhi government for necessary action. However, no response was received.

Justice Pushkarna closed the plea with a direction to the Delhi government that the petition be treated as a representation and that the requisite information sought be communicated to the petitioners.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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