Delhi: Cleaned 4.38km stretch of Yamuna floodplain, MCD tells NGT

MCD’s submission was made during a hearing on a plea filed by a local resident alleging that tonnes of municipal solid waste was lying along the river

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has cleaned a 4.38km stretch of the Yamuna floodplains along the Yamuna Pushta road in Wazirabad and Jagatpur. MCD’s submission was made during a hearing on a plea filed by a local resident alleging that tonnes of municipal solid waste was lying along the river there.

Garbage along the Yamuna. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

MCD said it used heavy machinery provided by the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department to remove the solid waste along the stretch, but added that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was the land-owning agency and needs to maintain the area from now on.

NGT has been hearing a plea filed by a local resident, Manish Jain, who in August alleged that dry and wet waste, along with construction debris, was regularly dumped along the Pushta. The plea said that no corrective action has taken place despite complaints to authorities.

Responding to NGT, MCD said that the area was also inspected by lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena as part of a larger inspection from Sangam Vihar Metro station to Uma Garden, Pushta Road, Burari.

“During the visit, the LG directed all concerned authorities — DDA, MCD and I&FC department to clean the eastern side of the Yamuna bank,” said MCD in its submission uploaded on December 5. It added that I&FC department provided MCD with labour and poclain heavy machines.

“As of now, I&FC is no longer providing support but the entire stretch has been cleaned by MCD. Cleaning is also under process on a day-to-day basis,” it said, adding that it was DDA’s responsibility from now to ensure the stretch remains clean.

“..It is expected that DDA, being the land owing agency, sustains the stretch already clean and keeps watch over the Yamuna bank since O-Zone comes under the jurisdiction of DDA...” it added.