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The Delhi High Court on Monday granted the Centre and other authorities four weeks' time to file status report in a suo motu case concerning the lack of rainwater harvesting efforts taken by the respective departments in Delhi. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad directed all the respondents to file status report regarding efforts made by them to ensure rainwater harvesting. 

The development took place in a case where a division bench of Justices Jasmeet Singh and Dinesh Kumar Sharma took suo motu cognizance of the lack of government effort to ensure rainwater harvesting in the monsoon. Cognizance was taken on the basis of an article published in the Times of India dated 18.06.2022 which talked about the lack of rainwater harvesting in Delhi. 

The judges observed that the article seemed to suggest that monsoon rainwater is not harvested properly within the city of Delhi. 

Accordingly, the court initiated a Public Interest Litigation on the issue. Notice was issued to all stakeholders involved in the management of rainwater, including the Delhi government, the Centre's Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Road Transport, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, Flood and Irrigation Department, Delhi Jal Board, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board and Delhi Police. 

All the agencies were given a week to file a status report indicating the steps taken by them to store and harvest rainwater. The bench had also sought details of steps undertaken to "address and ease traffic jams/snarls in Delhi during monsoons and other periods"

Case Title: Court On Its Own Motion v Govt of NCT of Delhi