New Delhi   

Residents up in arms against mega malls

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of residents of Saket, Sainik Farms, Press Enclave, Khirki village and adjoining colonies on Saturday held a massive demonstration at the Saket District Centre to protest against illegal exploitation of ground water resources by mega malls coming up in the area and their failure to get environmental clearance from the requisite authorities.

Led by the local MLA, Vijay Jolly, the residents including representatives of local Residents' Welfare Associations assembled in front of the District Centre where these mega malls are coming up, alleging that the developers of these malls had not obtained environmental clearance as required under the notification dated July 7, 2004, of the Environment and Forest Ministry. This guideline of the Union Government was being violated blatantly by private developers who were not only indulging in illegal construction but also unauthorised exploitation of the ground water resources in violation of the Delhi High Court orders and those of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), the protesters charged. Mr. Jolly alleged that the private developers were illegally using millions of gallons of water for construction and commercial purpose in the area.

"The illegally bored tube wells are without the formal sanction of Delhi Jal Board and CGWA. However, due to involvement of corrupt Delhi Development Authority and Delhi Jal Board officials, the private developers are having a free run," he charged. Along with the protesting local residents he demanded an immediate inquiry into the whole affair.

Mr. Jolly said the DDA had auctioned commercial plots on 54 acres of prime land in South Delhi on September 8 last year earning Rs. 260 crores.

Six mega shopping malls, commercial complex, multiplexes and service towers were being built by leading property developers.

Mr. Jolly demanded that a revised alternate peripheral traffic road plan for the entire area be formulated.

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