NGT moved against illegal use of Yamuna floodplains

After having written to the Lieutenant Governor against encroachment of the Yamuna floodplains, environment activist Manoj Misra on Thursday moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against batching plants for the upcoming Barapullah elevated road-cum-bridge over the river.

Mr. Misra has alleged that the DDA and the U.P. irrigation department have allotted land in the active floodplains, opposite Sarai Kale Khan on west bank and opposite Mayur Vihar Phase-I on east bank, to private parties in violation of the tribunal’s order barring any construction or misuse of floodplains.

“On September 18, during the meeting held in the chamber of the chairman of the principal committee, the DDA agreed that it had made the allotment to M/s Larsen & Toubro. It is brought to the attention of this tribunal that the U.P. irrigation department, however, reported that the construction work was going on without any allotment or approval,” the plea filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary said.

Mr. Misra has said that he also noticed dumping of soil on the river bed along the alignment of the proposed phase III extension of the Barapula elevated road from Ring Road to Mayur Vihar.

“The planned elevated bridge-cum-road would irreversibly change the drainage pattern of the river bed and inhibit the free flow of the river,” Mr. Mishra said.