Delhi HC orders clearing up of all illegal encroachments across banks of Yamuna River 

In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has issued a directive to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to clear all encroachments and illegal constructions along the Yamuna river bank, riverbed, and connected drains.

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed this order on July 8, as revealed in the order uploaded on Wednesday. The court instructed the Vice Chairman of the DDA to spearhead the removal of encroachments and unauthorised structures following a plea requesting the demolition of such constructions along the Yamuna riverbank and to prevent similar activities in the future.

Emphasising the gravity of the situation, the bench mandated the Vice Chairman to collaborate with officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Pollution Control Board, and Forest Department. The order explicitly stated that a meeting involving all concerned officials should be convened within a week.

The petitioner, Shabnam Burney, highlighted the environmental hazards arising from unauthorised construction, asserting that such activities posed a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem and contributed to air pollution, leading to health issues among the local residents.

During the proceedings, Central Government Standing Counsel Apoorv Kurup acknowledged that encroachment on the river's floodplain could result in water diversion, thereby increasing the risk of flooding nearby. He further mentioned expert opinions attributing flooding in the capital to encroachments on drains, riverbanks, and riverbeds, obstructing the natural flow of water into the Yamuna.

Representatives from the Delhi government and Delhi Police, presented by advocate Avishkar Singhvi, informed the court about their efforts in highlighting cases of illegal construction along the riverbank to the DDA and MCD with a request for necessary action.

Advocate Ajay Arora, representing the MCD, expressed full cooperation from the municipal corporation in assisting the DDA and DMRC in executing the removal of encroachments as mandated by the court.