DDA submits report on immersions

Prevention is better than cure and therefore, people of Delhi must resolve that they will declare a war against vector-borne diseases Arvind Kejriwal,

New Delhi, Oct. 4: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday told the National Green Tribunal that it has removed around 80 tonnes of debris dumped on the Yamuna floodplains after the idol immersions in the recent festivals.

The NGT had directed the Delhi government and other authorities to submit a status report on the condition of river Yamuna after the immersion of Ganesh and Durga idols.

The DDA told a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar that the responsibility for organising and managing the immersion of idols at specially created ghats on Yamuna floodplains vested with the department of irrigation and flood control and the municipal corporations concerned.

“The answering respondent (DDA) is responsible for the development of the floodplain and to check any illegal dumping of any debris as well as any other directions already passed by this tribunal to protect the floodplain.

“The irrigation and flood control has already cleared the immersed idols from the specified ghats created for the purpose of immersion of idols and has dumped the same on the floodplain, in place of disposing safely in MCD construction waste site within a period of 48 hours from immersion, which is in violation of this tribunal’s direction” DDA said.

Terming this as a “lacklustre” approach of the municipal corporations, the report, filed through advocate Kush Sharma, said it has removed debris in the form of idols through 20 trucks weighing about 80 tonnes dumped on the flood plain.

It also said that a private security agency has been engaged for round-theclock vigil to check the illegal dumping of debris, burning of leaves, throwing of “puja” material and unauthorised encroachment.

During the hearing, the counsel for Delhi government told the bench that the cleaning process of the banks of the river was in progress and the idols which were immersed were being removed.

The matter was listed for next hearing on October 12.