Debris dumped on plains altering Yamuna’s flow
ACCORDING TO NGT, ANY DUMPING OF WASTE OR DEBRIS ON THE YAMUNA FLOODPLAINS IS BANNED AND VIOLATORS COULD BE FINED UP TO ₹50,000
nNEW DELHI: An inspection of the Yamuna floodplains earlier this week by teams of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), accompanied by NGO South Asian Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), to check for construction debris dumping has found that the violation has been going on for years and the dumped debris has been “flattened”, thereby raising the level of the plains.
The sites inspected included areas underneath the bridges at Sarai Kale Khan, Mayur Vihar and the Signature Bridge. The SANDRP has made a report of its findings and has said that continuous debris dumping and levelling may affect the flooding pattern of the river.
According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of 2015, any dumping of waste or debris on the Yamuna floodplains is banned and violators could be fined up to ₹50,000. Earlier this week, the Ngt-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee had asked the DPCC to conduct an inspection after receiving complaints of debris dumping.
“The floodplain patch of 8,000 square metres underneath the Mayur Vihar bridge, have been raised by two-four feet as a result of dumping of debris, which has been levelled over time by the agencies carrying out construction work along the site,” said Bhim Singh Rawat of SANDRP, who has put together the report.
Officials of the public works department, which is managing Signature Bridge, said some work on the bridge is still pending.
“Work is still going on and once it is complete, the equipment it will be removed,” said a senior official, who did not wish to be named.
The Yamuna Monitoring Committee said it has asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is the primary custodian of the floodplains, to give a status report on dumping activities. “We have asked the DDA to submit a response on the complaints received. We are yet to receive the DPCC inspection report,” said a committee member.
A senior DPCC official, who did not wish to be named, said, “We are preparing a report based on the inspection. It will take a day or two to submit it.”