Barapullah builder gets notice for choking river
THREAT TO YAMUNA National Green Tribunal issues notice to firm on plea by river activist, construction on floodplains is banned
NEW DELHI:The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to a construction major, which is carrying out the extension work of the third phase of Barapullah Elevated Road across the Yamuna, seeking a reply on allegations of violating the green panel’s order that prohibited any kind of construction activity on the river’s floodplains.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued the notice on Monday to Larsen and Toubro while hearing a plea by activist Manoj Misra, who is the convenor of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan. Misra had alleged that the firm has violated the green panel’s order which had prohibited any kind of construction activity on the floodplains of the river.
Misra, in his plea, had pointed out the operation of a concretemanufacturing plant on the Yamuna floodplains.
Hindustan Times had earlier visited the site this month and reported how an entire channel of the river had been brazenly obstructed by the contractor working in Zone O (river zone) for pile-laying in the river bed using solid waste and rubble for the elevated road project.
Advocate Kush Sharma, appearing for Delhi Development Authority (DDA), told the bench that the allotment for the batching plant near Sarai Kale Khan was done according to the tribunal’s order.
“One of the sub-groups of the principal committee, constituted by the tribunal, comprising the landscape officer and the chief engineer (east zone) of DDA had visited the site. After noting the violations (blocking the flow of Yamuna) by the batching plants, the DDA wrote to the public works department and the project proponent in this regard. We were assured that the needful would be done,” Sharma said.
The matter is listed for next hearing on October 30.
The plea had sought a stay and imposition of fine on the ongoing constructions on the floodplains in violation of the tribunal’s January 13 judgment.
“Despite the clear direction of this tribunal barring any new construction (temporary or permanent) on the floodplains of the Yamuna, the activities of levelling of the floodplain and operation of batching plants are going on opposite Mayur Vihar Phase I in the east bank and opposite Sarai Kale Khan in west Bank, respectively, by private parties,” the plea filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary, had said.