New Delhi: In a recent judgment, the Delhi High Court ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to remove any encroachments on the area of the Yamuna River bank or any drainage connected to it or the Yamuna River bed. After a hearing on July 8 this week, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed Mohinder Singh, the Vice Chairman of the DDA, to supervise the demolition. This directive was in response to a prayer to pave the way for the demolition of the squatters’ structures and to prevent further Mattanza of the banks of the river.
The court ordered the DDA Vice Chairman, who was also the nodal officer, to liaise with the MCD, Delhi Police, DMRC, Irrigation & Flood Control Department, PWD, Delhi Pollution Control Board, and Forest Department. These officials were summoned to a meeting to arrange the enforcement by guaranteeing it within a week.
In her testimony as the petitioner, Burney pointed to new construction that was taking place Illegally, which threatened to cause environmental problems such as pollution of the environment through the creation of an impedance to oxygen and other gases that are important for the support of life in the environment.
Responding to the plea on behalf of the Central Government, Apoorv Kurup agreed that construction across flood plains inhibits water flow and increases flood consequences in the neighboring lands. He stressed opinions of specialists linking floods in Delhi as well as other cities to such occupations of drains, river banks and river beds, which interfere with water flow.
The Delhi government, Delhi Police, and their counsel, Avishkar Singhvi, submitted before the court about sending several complaints regarding unauthorized structures on the riverbank to the DDA & MCD for action. They sought orders from the court while at the same time guaranteeing compliance with enforcement measures.
For his part, MCD’s counsel Ajay Arora assured the court of full cooperation with the DDA and DMRC in enforcing some removal actions against the structures that occupied such spaces.
The court’s exclusionary conditions highlight the need to safeguard the Yamuna’s habitat and related dangers caused by unauthorized structures for the purpose of preserving the environment and preventing adverse consequences on human health in the mentioned area.
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