India, May 8 -- New Delhi

The Delhi government has appointed two officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) as "government analysts", who will be responsible for collecting and testing samples of water, sewage and industrial effluents collected across the city and submitting reports on these to both the state and the Centre.

In a gazette notification issued by the environment department on April 23, the government, making use of the amended provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, named Dr Nandita Moitra, Scientist-D, DPCC, and Arvind Kumar, Scientist-B, DPCC, as "government analysts" under Section 53(2) of the Water Act.

An official aware of the developments, who did not wish to be named,...