Green panel asks Delhi civic body to revive Neela Hauz lake without delay

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi Development Authority to rejuvenate the Neela Hauz lake in South Delhi without delay.

The NGT noted that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has written to the Public Works Department to arrange fixing of iron meshes and create vertical gardens or to issue a NOC to it to undertake the work.

“In view of the damage being caused to the environment by illegal dumping of waste, we direct DDA to undertake the requisite remedial measures without waiting for further response from PWD.

If PWD has any objection, it may move this tribunal,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said in a recent order.

The National Green Tribunal had earlier directed the DDA to furnish a report on action taken on the rejuvenation of the Neela Hauz lake.

According to the report, commuters passing through Aruna Asif Ali Marg Road Bridge over the lake are dumping plastic bags, bottles, glass-framed photographs, polythene bags and other waste, including biomedical waste, which is removed by the staff of Neela Hauz biodiversity park managed by DDA.

The tribunal’s order came after it took note of a newspaper report which said that the lake was becoming a dumping ground.

With PTI inputs