Delhi High Court tells DDA to remove encroachments along Yamuna
New Delhi, July 11
The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to clear all encroachments and illegal constructions along the Yamuna banks, riverbed and connected drains. The order explicitly called for a meeting involving all officials concerned within a week.
A Bench of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued this order on July 8 as detailed in an order uploaded on Wednesday.
The court instructed the Vice-Chairman of the DDA to lead the removal of encroachments and unauthorised structures following a plea seeking the demolition of such constructions along the Yamuna banks.
The Bench mandated the Vice-Chairman collaborate with officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Pollution Control Board and Forest Department.
Petitioner Shabnam Burney highlighted the environmental hazards of unauthorised construction, asserting that such activities threatened the region’s fragile ecosystem and contributed to air pollution, leading to health issues among local residents.
Central Government standing counsel Apoorv Kurup said that encroachment on the river’s floodplain could result in water diversion, increasing the risk of flooding nearby.
He cited expert opinion attributing flooding in the capital to encroachments on drains, riverbanks, and riverbeds, obstructing the natural flow of water into the Yamuna.
Representatives from the Delhi government and the Delhi Police, represented by advocate Avishkar Singhvi informed the court of their efforts in highlighting cases of illegal construction along the riverbank to the DDA and MCD requesting necessary action.
Advocate Ajay Arora, representing the MCD, expressed full cooperation from the Municipal Corporation in assisting the DDA and DMRC in executing the removal of encroachments as mandated by the court.
