The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued notices to the Government of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), seeking detailed reports on the city’s water bodies, taking cognisance of a report in The Hindu.
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The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of the report published on Thursday on disappearing water bodies in the national capital. The NHRC issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government and the DDA’s Vice-Chairman seeking the reports within six weeks.
“The Commission has observed that the issue raised in the media report is a matter of concern. There are laws and guidelines to safeguard such vital components of environment. The alleged negligence by the authorities tantamount to violation of human rights, as the water bodies and wetlands are a vital part of the hydrological cycle, which supports rich biodiversity and provides a wide range of ecosystem services such as water storage, water purification, flood control, erosion control and microclimate regulation etc. It also helps mitigate urban floods,” the NHRC said in a statement.
The commission cited the report that said the waterbodies in question had been encroached upon, concretised or polluted with sewage. Out of 1,043 identified waterbodies, 169 had been infringed upon or destroyed, the report said.