Expressing concern over the presence of a parking lot on the riverbed, non-government organisation Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has written to Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna seeking restoration of the river land and removal of the structure put up by the Delhi Transport Corporation.
During the Commonwealth Games the DTC was permitted to set up a temporary bus shelter for vehicles to be used to ferry the athletes and Games staff. However, the shelter continues to remain on the riverbed, much to the disappointment of environmentalists and water conservation activists.
YJA convenor Manoj Misra has now written to the L-G to issue “appropriate directions” to the Delhi Development Authority for urgent action against the DTC so that the riverbed can be rid of encroachments.
In his letter, Mr. Misra has written: “….despite it being more than a fortnight since the CWG 2010 concluded in the city, the DTC seems to be making no efforts to remove their structures erected on the riverbed along Ring Road opposite the Indraprastha Park, while your honour had given them only a week's time after the conclusion of the games.”
Pointing out that the shelter is in violation of the terms and conditions set by the L-G himself, the YGA functionary said the shelter was in temporary possession of the DTC to park 300 of their buses meant for the ready use by the athletes and officials residing at the nearby Games Village.
‘Illegal occupation'
“Your (L-G's) conditions as under were very clear and specific and we fail to understand as to where from is the DTC getting a mandate to continue their increasingly becoming unauthorised and even illegal occupation of the said land,” the letter states.
As per an earlier order, no permanent construction will be allowed at the site (riverbed), soft parking will be developed only by compressing the earth or by providing perforated paver blocks, land will remain with the DDA and will be licensed to the Delhi Government and DTC for temporary stabling of buses till one week after the Games are over.
The temporary infrastructure was to be dismantled soon after the Games got over.
A team of officials from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission will inspect the riverbed on Wednesday to examine the encroachments that the YJA has alleged have come up on the critical zone. The YJA had earlier drawn attention towards a residential complex being built by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is being constructed without the mandatory clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and of the DUAC.
