NGT to examine if two sites fall on Yamuna floodplains

Following petitions by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra against proposed landfill sites at the Yamuna riverbed, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday said that it would “consider all the issues”.

A Bench headed by NGT Acting Chairperson Jawad Rahim directed the parties to file “brief notes” within a week mentioning the contentions raised by each.

“We will examine and consider if the two sites fall on the Yamuna floodplains. We will be considering all the issues,” the Bench said.

Both the pleas had contended that the proposed landfill sites at Ghonda Gujran and Sonia Vihar were a part of the ‘O-zone’ where development activities are not permitted.

‘Concealing facts’

Further, the counsel for the petitioner argued that the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) had “misled” the tribunal by “concealing facts”.

However, the counsel for the EDMC contended that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had passed the in-principle approval after considerable deliberations.

The green panel, however, questioned the petitioners as to why they had raised objections at this juncture.

“Everybody is aware of the matter. Why are you intervening at this point?” the Bench said.

The DDA had last month informed the tribunal that the in-principle approval for the alternative landfill sites at the two locations had been approved by the urban body.

However, both the pleas moved in the green court, sought directions from it to restrain the DDA from allotting the said pieces of land.

“This apparent mindless setting up of a landfill site just adjacent to the Yamuna, a natural water resource will affect the integrity of flora and fauna of the water resource. This will affect the overall ecology of the area, which will result in bad health conditions of the people living near the allotted land,” read the petition filed by AAP spokesperson Dilip K. Pandey.