DDA to submit plan for restoring floodplains

NGT asks agency to nominate a senior official, submit report within a week

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi Development Authority to submit an action plan with regard to restoring “the Yamuna floodplains where the Art of Living’s World Culture Festival was held last year”.

Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar has also asked the agency to nominate a senior official and submit a report within a week. “We direct the DDA to nominate a senior official as the member of a committee that shall constitute chief engineers from the Irrigation Department of Delhi and U.P. This committee shall submit an action plan with reference to the Yamuna floodplains, where Art of Living’s event was held last year,” the green panel said.

NGT questions approval

The Tribunal also asked the DDA why it gave the event a go-ahead despite rejecting three requests.

It said that the land-owning agency should have exercised caution while granting approval to the cultural extravaganza. This, even as an expert committee had told the NGT that a whopping ₹42.02 crore would be required to restore the floodplains.

Urgent directions sought

The Tribunal has also directed the committee to refer to the findings of the expert panel, which had been appointed by the NGT to assess the damage.

Advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for petitioner Manoj Mishra, sought urgent directions from the Bench with regard to restoring the floodplains.

He said that immediate orders were needed considering the arrival of the monsoon.

Advocate Nikhil Sakhardande, appearing for the Art of Living, opposed the submission and said no directions were needed as hearings in the main case were still on.

He added that the monsoon had arrived after the event last year, and that the matter should be heard on the scheduled date.

The matter has now been fixed for hearing on July 28.