The Hindu : New Delhi News : Government flayed for construction on Yamuna riverbed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 14, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Government flayed for construction on Yamuna riverbed

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

"Work on despite adverse remarks by many agencies"

NEW DELHI: Calling it a façade for legitimising the land grabbing exercise, environmentalists in the city have accused the Delhi Government of allowing the misuse of the Yamuna riverbed for construction of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Village by the Delhi Development Authority.

"Construction here has gone ahead despite the adverse remarks by several government agencies. In a report prepared by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, which has been submitted to the Government it has been pointed out that no residential or industrial facilities requiring permanent structures should be provided on the riverbed," said Manoj Misra of the Peace Institute. He has been spearheading the movement in the city to save the river.

"Despite this obvious note of caution advised by the government agency, very little or even no attention has been given to the report. The general guideline for development of riverbed has indicated that the Yamuna's stretch between Okhla barrage and Haryana border has lost its carrying capacity due to long-term silting," added Mr. Misra.

Innovative designs needed

The report by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute has also pointed out that for any proposed developmental activities on the riverbed, considerable volume of construction materials from outside should not be permitted. It has also added that innovate design of various structures may be carried out so that they obstruct the water flow to the minimum.

The study also states that effective emergency warning system and evacuation plan should be prepared for all modified land uses for each development. Looking also into the discharge of waste in case construction work is allowed in the area, the report has noted that whatever development is carried out on the riverbed the authority responsible for such development must ensure proper solid and liquid waste management practices and in no case the waste should be permitted to be discharged on the river bed.

Speaking about the problem that the construction would bring along, Vinod Jain of Tapas, a non-government organisation working in area of environment protection, said: "The riverbed of the Yamuna is an important recharge zone for the Capital and the extensive construction here will ensure that this area is lost to the city for ever. Delhi is grappling with a falling groundwater table and this will only aggravate the already bad water situation in the Capital. Also, this land cannot be sold for construction. We demand that all rivers in India be protected and that the Government ensure that there be laws to do the same."

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