Jul 11, 2024 02:24 PM IST
A bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela, directed in its July 8 order, uploaded on Wednesday, the vice chairman of the DDA to remove all encroachments and illegal construction
New Delhi: The Delhi high court has ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to remove all encroachments and illegal construction on the Yamuna river bank, riverbed, and drains flowing into the river.
A bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela, directed in its July 8 order, uploaded on Wednesday, the vice chairman (VC) of the DDA to remove all encroachments and illegal construction while dealing with a plea seeking directions to the DDA to demolish the unauthorised construction on the Yamuna river bank and to further prevent the same in future
The bench said that the VC, who is also appointed as the nodal officer, shall coordinate with officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Public Works Department (PWD), the Delhi Pollution Control Board and the Forest Department. “…The Vice Chairman, DDA shall convene a meeting of all the concerned officials within a week,” the order read.
Shabnam Burney, the petitioner, underscored that illegal construction was going on without permission, which was endangering the ecologically fragile plain. “…It was also causing air pollution in the area and leading to respiratory problems for the people living around the same”.
Central Government Standing Counsel Apoorv Kurup admitted that the encroachment in the floodplain leads to the diversion of water, leading to floods in adjacent areas. Kurup also pointed out the fact that many experts believe that floods in the capital were primarily caused due to encroachment of drains, riverbanks, and riverbeds as the same restricted the flow of water to and in Yamuna.
The Delhi government and the Delhi Police represented through advocate Avishkar Singhvi told the court that it had forwarded several representations pertaining to illegal and unauthorised construction on the riverbank to the DDA and the MCD for appropriate action.
The counsel urged the court to pass directions while assuring that the authorities would provide all the required assistance.
Advocate Ajay Arora, representing the MCD, assured that the municipal corporation would render full cooperation to the DDA and DMRC in the removal.
