New Delhi: Expressing its displeasure over the lack of progress on the desilting of drains, National Green Tribunal stated that despite a joint meeting held by the chief secretary on the project, no progress took place, and the monsoon was approaching again.
Since there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, the tribunal directed the virtual presence of the chief secretary, commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the CEO of Delhi Jal Board in the next hearing on April 16.
Various petitions, including one by Nizamuddin West Residents Welfare Association, were filed in NGT, demanding remedial measures to treat Barapullah and its subsidiary drains. Residents claimed that many areas of south Delhi were waterlogged during the monsoon due to the non-desilting of these drains.
Following a meeting by the chief Secretary on March 7, NGT was informed that the irrigation and flood control department would carry out the desilting of the open portion of 24 drains while MCD would desilt the covered portion of the Kushak and Sunehri Pul drains, which pass through South Delhi. However, in the last hearing on April 9, MCD told NGT that half of the open portion couldn’t be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another.
“Learned counsel appearing for MCD has submitted that the decision taken in the meeting by the chief secretary is absurd. Later, she clarified that she is making this statement as an officer of the court. She submitted that half of the open portion cannot be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another,” NGT observed on April 9.
The tribunal was told that MCD floated an expression of interest on March 19 for desilting the box portion of the Kushak drain, but no response was received. “Having regard to the seriousness of the issue, MCD is expected to take prompt and immediate action. That apart, after the meeting dated March 7, no progress has taken place till now, and the situation is the same as it was on March 7,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
One of the applicants informed NGT that the monsoon was approaching, and no action was taken. In the previous monsoon, huge loss and enormous inconvenience were suffered by the residents of the area on account of flooding of the drain due to the lack of desilting, said the applicant.
“Considering the gravity of the situation, the fact that in spite of the joint meeting held by the chief secretary, no progress has taken place till now, and the monsoon is now again approaching, and there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, we deem it proper to direct the personal appearance of the commissioner, MCD, and the virtual appearance of the chief secretary on the next date of hearing,” said the bench.
The CEO of DJB was also asked to appear virtually after one of the applicants pointed out that some of the water channels passing through the residential area might be under the control of DJB.
New Delhi: Expressing its displeasure over the lack of progress on the desilting of drains, National Green Tribunal stated that despite a joint meeting held by the chief secretary on the project, no progress took place, and the monsoon was approaching again.
Since there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, the tribunal directed the virtual presence of the chief secretary, commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the CEO of Delhi Jal Board in the next hearing on April 16.
Various petitions, including one by Nizamuddin West Residents Welfare Association, were filed in NGT, demanding remedial measures to treat Barapullah and its subsidiary drains. Residents claimed that many areas of south Delhi were waterlogged during the monsoon due to the non-desilting of these drains.
Following a meeting by the chief Secretary on March 7, NGT was informed that the irrigation and flood control department would carry out the desilting of the open portion of 24 drains while MCD would desilt the covered portion of the Kushak and Sunehri Pul drains, which pass through South Delhi. However, in the last hearing on April 9, MCD told NGT that half of the open portion couldn’t be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another.
“Learned counsel appearing for MCD has submitted that the decision taken in the meeting by the chief secretary is absurd. Later, she clarified that she is making this statement as an officer of the court. She submitted that half of the open portion cannot be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another,” NGT observed on April 9.
The tribunal was told that MCD floated an expression of interest on March 19 for desilting the box portion of the Kushak drain, but no response was received. “Having regard to the seriousness of the issue, MCD is expected to take prompt and immediate action. That apart, after the meeting dated March 7, no progress has taken place till now, and the situation is the same as it was on March 7,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
One of the applicants informed NGT that the monsoon was approaching, and no action was taken. In the previous monsoon, huge loss and enormous inconvenience were suffered by the residents of the area on account of flooding of the drain due to the lack of desilting, said the applicant.
“Considering the gravity of the situation, the fact that in spite of the joint meeting held by the chief secretary, no progress has taken place till now, and the monsoon is now again approaching, and there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, we deem it proper to direct the personal appearance of the commissioner, MCD, and the virtual appearance of the chief secretary on the next date of hearing,” said the bench.
The CEO of DJB was also asked to appear virtually after one of the applicants pointed out that some of the water channels passing through the residential area might be under the control of DJB.
Since there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, the tribunal directed the virtual presence of the chief secretary, commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the CEO of Delhi Jal Board in the next hearing on April 16.
Various petitions, including one by Nizamuddin West Residents Welfare Association, were filed in NGT, demanding remedial measures to treat Barapullah and its subsidiary drains. Residents claimed that many areas of south Delhi were waterlogged during the monsoon due to the non-desilting of these drains.
Following a meeting by the chief Secretary on March 7, NGT was informed that the irrigation and flood control department would carry out the desilting of the open portion of 24 drains while MCD would desilt the covered portion of the Kushak and Sunehri Pul drains, which pass through South Delhi. However, in the last hearing on April 9, MCD told NGT that half of the open portion couldn’t be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another.
“Learned counsel appearing for MCD has submitted that the decision taken in the meeting by the chief secretary is absurd. Later, she clarified that she is making this statement as an officer of the court. She submitted that half of the open portion cannot be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another,” NGT observed on April 9.
The tribunal was told that MCD floated an expression of interest on March 19 for desilting the box portion of the Kushak drain, but no response was received. “Having regard to the seriousness of the issue, MCD is expected to take prompt and immediate action. That apart, after the meeting dated March 7, no progress has taken place till now, and the situation is the same as it was on March 7,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
One of the applicants informed NGT that the monsoon was approaching, and no action was taken. In the previous monsoon, huge loss and enormous inconvenience were suffered by the residents of the area on account of flooding of the drain due to the lack of desilting, said the applicant.
“Considering the gravity of the situation, the fact that in spite of the joint meeting held by the chief secretary, no progress has taken place till now, and the monsoon is now again approaching, and there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, we deem it proper to direct the personal appearance of the commissioner, MCD, and the virtual appearance of the chief secretary on the next date of hearing,” said the bench.
The CEO of DJB was also asked to appear virtually after one of the applicants pointed out that some of the water channels passing through the residential area might be under the control of DJB.
New Delhi: Expressing its displeasure over the lack of progress on the desilting of drains, National Green Tribunal stated that despite a joint meeting held by the chief secretary on the project, no progress took place, and the monsoon was approaching again.
Since there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, the tribunal directed the virtual presence of the chief secretary, commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the CEO of Delhi Jal Board in the next hearing on April 16.
Various petitions, including one by Nizamuddin West Residents Welfare Association, were filed in NGT, demanding remedial measures to treat Barapullah and its subsidiary drains. Residents claimed that many areas of south Delhi were waterlogged during the monsoon due to the non-desilting of these drains.
Following a meeting by the chief Secretary on March 7, NGT was informed that the irrigation and flood control department would carry out the desilting of the open portion of 24 drains while MCD would desilt the covered portion of the Kushak and Sunehri Pul drains, which pass through South Delhi. However, in the last hearing on April 9, MCD told NGT that half of the open portion couldn’t be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another.
“Learned counsel appearing for MCD has submitted that the decision taken in the meeting by the chief secretary is absurd. Later, she clarified that she is making this statement as an officer of the court. She submitted that half of the open portion cannot be given to one agency and half of the covered portion to another,” NGT observed on April 9.
The tribunal was told that MCD floated an expression of interest on March 19 for desilting the box portion of the Kushak drain, but no response was received. “Having regard to the seriousness of the issue, MCD is expected to take prompt and immediate action. That apart, after the meeting dated March 7, no progress has taken place till now, and the situation is the same as it was on March 7,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
One of the applicants informed NGT that the monsoon was approaching, and no action was taken. In the previous monsoon, huge loss and enormous inconvenience were suffered by the residents of the area on account of flooding of the drain due to the lack of desilting, said the applicant.
“Considering the gravity of the situation, the fact that in spite of the joint meeting held by the chief secretary, no progress has taken place till now, and the monsoon is now again approaching, and there is still uncertainty about the executing agency, we deem it proper to direct the personal appearance of the commissioner, MCD, and the virtual appearance of the chief secretary on the next date of hearing,” said the bench.
The CEO of DJB was also asked to appear virtually after one of the applicants pointed out that some of the water channels passing through the residential area might be under the control of DJB.
