New Delhi   

Court orders razing places of worship along Yamuna banks

Staff Reporter

`Recently passed Bill allows their removal'

NEW DELHI: Asserting that all unauthorised constructions that had come up along the Yamuna banks here would have to go irrespective of their nature, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to demolish all illegal places of worship along the banks forthwith.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kailash Gambhir directed the Authority to go ahead with their job as Section 4 of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, recently passed by Parliament putting one-year moratorium on demolitions of unauthorised constructions and sealing of commercial premises in residential areas in the Capital allows removal of "slums and jhuggi-jhompri dwellers... in accordance with the relevant policies approved by the Central Government for clearance of land required for specific public purposes".

The Bench passed the directions when S.M. Aggarwal, Convener of the Court-appointed Justice Usha Mehra Committee, submitted that the unauthorised religious structures -- mosques and temples -- along the river's banks could not be removed due to the above-mentioned Act.

The Court also ordered removal of washer-men's facilities from the river banks as they used chemicals and inferior soaps that polluted the Yamuna.

The priests who helped people perform the last rites at the crematoria on the banks would also have to go, the Bench said.

The Bench summoned the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) and issued a contempt of court notice to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Indraprastha Estate police of Central Delhi for not assisting the authorities concerned in carrying out the demolitions.

The Bench directed the DCP to be present in the Court in person and explain the non-cooperation on July 20.

In its report submitted to the Court, the Committee said it had been successful in getting about 5,150 jhuggies removed from the eastern bank of the river in the first week of May this year.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Delhi BJP sets the ball rolling for organisational elections
Delhi Metro runs on best quality rails
A celestial carnival to look out for this month
BSES warns consumers against half-payment of power bills
DU struggles to establish `trust'
Court orders razing places of worship along Yamuna banks
Metro announces new fares for feeder buses
Taking Bollywood to exotic locales
Walia orders shifting of central verge
Ration card just a mouse click away from next month
Max Healthcare opens new hospital at Saket
New arrival
Some relief at last
Rail accident probe
`Telescopic benefits' restored
Re-examination sought in Jessica murder case
CBI S-Is pass out
Around the City
Briefly
In the Capital Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu