NGT Panel To Demarcate Yamuna Floodplain, Suggest Measures To Check Unauthorised Construction

The committee has been given three months to complete the work and submit a report before the National Green Tribunal before January 30, 2024.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a high-level committee for the demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain. Apart from the demarcation, the committee will also suggest measures to prevent and remove encroachments along with unauthorised construction. The committee will be headed by the Delhi chief secretary. The green tribunal was hearing a matter where it took suo-motu cognisance of a media report claiming flooding occurs in Delhi because of the unauthorised construction in the Yamuna floodplain, reported news agency PTI.

A number of areas of the national capital were inundated due to a rise in River Yamuna's water level and around 27,000 people were evacuated from the floodplain. 

A bench of the National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said that as per the report, delineation of the river is required in order to prevent illegal developments in the floodplain and there are around 76 unauthorised colonies in the area concerned (where floods occurred), besides large-scale encroachment, PTI reported.

The bench, comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, in an order on Tuesday said, "The newspaper report reflects that a substantial issue relating to the environment is involved." The bench added that the Yamuna floodplain is required to be identified, demarcated and notified in the light of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order.

The order stated, "We deem it proper to form a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary, Delhi and comprising nominees from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the secretary, Environment, Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), executive director, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi."

According to PTI, the green tribunal said that the secretary of the Delhi government's environment department will be acting as the nodal agency for coordination and compliance.

NGT has allowed a period of three months to the committee to complete the work and then file a report before the next date of the hearing on January 30, 2024.