NGT stays construction at Qutab Golf Course

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday put an interim stay on construction activities in Qutab Golf Course in south Delhi where five artificial lakes are being built allegedly by concretisation of pits.

A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim has restrained Delhi Development Authority (DDA) from carrying out any activity, after it failed to file its reply on an NGO’s plea alleging that concretisation of water body would hinder recharge of the ground water in the Lado Sarai area.

Advocates Arun Monga and Divya Sharma, appearing for the NGO, asked for urgent stay on the construction activities, saying the DDA has not filed its reply despite ample opportunities. They claimed that the construction of the artificial lakes was going on in full swing and was being undertaken despite the matter being sub judice.

The direction of the green court, which fixed the matter for hearing on August 8, came during the hearing of the plea by NGO CHETNA seeking a stay on such construction activity and asking the DDA to place on record the source of water that is intended to be used for the lakes.

Anil Sood, president of the NGO CHETNA, said, “The DDA instead of developing ecofriendly Delhi is hell bent on destroying the Capital. Planning is a serious business that bureaucrats do not understand.”

In the petition, the NGO has alleged that the creation of the artificial lakes in an unscientific manner without any technical consultation by ground water experts would lead to an unsustainable water body, “which will eventually die its own death”.

“The stagnation of water therein will lead to breeding of mosquitoes which in turn will lead to the prevalence of diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria,” the plea said.

THE NGO ALLEGED THAT BUILDING ARTIFICIAL LAKES BY CONCRETISATION OF PITS WOULD HINDER RECHARGE OF GROUNDWATER