Approval for landfill sites at Ghonda Gujran, Sonia Vihar challenged in NGT

Two pleas opposing the approval of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to allot land at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda Gujran areas here to set up of landfill sites were filed in the National Green Tribunal today.

The pleas filed by AAP spokesperson Dilip Kumar Pandey and others and rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra have sought directions to restrain the DDA from allotting an area of 130 acres at Sonia Vihar and a 50-acre plot at Ghonda Gujran to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) for handling and processing waste.

While Mishra has alleged that EDMC has with a "malafide"intention not revealed that these sites are part of the active floodplain of Yamuna river and fell under the O-Zone as per Master Plan of Delhi where no development can take place, the petition filed by Pandey and others said the project will adversely affect the eco-system of the area as there were several densely populated colonies and villages nearby.

"The entire area being low lying goes under deep waters during monsoon rains and the ground water table being very high, it suffers from aquifer flooding during high floods in river Yamuna. The ground conditions make its development as land fill site not only illegal but also susceptible to flooding risks.

"That with respect to the site in Ghonda Gujran, it can easily be surmised that it is in Zone O, as the site is said to be opposite the Usmanpur Village. And since the only open space opposite the Usmanpur Village is in the active river floodplain in Zone O, clearly the site is most unsuitable and impermissible as per the Siting Criteria under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 which is statutory in nature," Mishra said in his plea.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on May 3.

The plea, filed by Pandey and others, said the "mindless setting up of a land-fill site adjacent to Yamuna, a natural water resource will be affecting the integrity of the flora and fauna of the water resource, which would affect overall ecology of the area which resulted the bad health condition of the people who are living nearby allotted land".

It said the approval given on the basis of recommendations of the Central Pollution Control Board and NEERI is based on wrong facts and it violated the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

"Restrain the DDA from allotting the lands in question falling within the active floodplain of River Yamuna, i.e. 130 acres in Sonya Vihar and 50 acres in Ghonda Gujran for the purpose of developing Solid Waste Management facility.

"Impose heavy penalty and direct penal action against officials of EDMC for wilful and deliberate concealment of material facts before this tribunal," the plea said.

The DDA had earlier told the tribunal that based on the reports of the CPCB and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and its analysis, an area of 88 acres at Sonia Vihar and a 42.5-acre plot at Ghonda Gujran can be given to the EDMC for handling and processing waste.