New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) An environmental activist has flagged encroachment of Yamuna floodplains near Wazirabad Barrage area with the dumping of solid waste, and construction of a road and a metro casting yard.
Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People has prepared a report on this and sought action from Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other authorities.
According to the report, several “serious encroachment activities were detected on the eastern bank of Wazirabad Barrage that required immediate corrective steps to ensure effective protection of the floodplains.” Rawat said that a road — about 5 kilometres long and 6 metres wide — was built from Wazirabad crematoria to the eastern embankment near Usmanpur village.
According to locals, the road was built to facilitate access to the Delhi Metro casting yard and the construction of Metro and Signature bridges, both of which were complete.
Rawat said the road needs to be dismantled to free the floodplains and to discourage any further encroachment.
The report also shared photos of a metro casting yard claiming that it was occupying 13 acres of Yamuna floodplains, and demanded that it be removed along with debris.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in a statement, said that the casting yard was set up after obtaining all necessary permissions and clearances, and that it is following all norms required for environment protection.
Most of the waste materials have already been removed from the area and only some precast segments for construction work are left. The removal of this has been pending as the construction was halted for want of permission to remove trees, DMRC said.
Rawat’s report also claimed that around 50 acres of low-lying floodplains along the eastern embankment opposite Kartar Nagar was encroached by dumping huge amounts of soil there over the last several years and by laying out a parking lot.
Earth imagery suggests that the dumping and levelling continued recently, claiming an additional 20 acres of floodplains, the report said further.
It also claimed that concrete waste from construction is being dumped at the floodplains. During a visit, solid waste, construction waste and even tar coal mixture were found to have been dumped on the floodplains, the report added. PTI VIT VIT RUK RUK
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