Encroachments in Najafgarh: NGT summons SDMC Commissioner

The National Green Tribunal has directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Commissioner to appear before it and explain what steps his office has taken to control encroachments on Khaira Road in Najafgarh here.
A bench headed by Justice P Jyothimani also directed Chief Engineer of PWD, Assistant Commissioner of Police and SDM of the area concerned to appear before it on March 20, along with all details about encroachments and action taken against the violators.
"The callous attitude of SDMC and local police is clear on record. Serious irregularities and illegalities are being committed on the road by dumping building material unauthorisedly, resulting in environmental pollution and no action is being taken and every authority is transferring their responsibility to the other...," the bench said.

PWD contended before the Tribunal that it was responsible for laying down roads as well as its maintenance but as far as other activities are concerned these are not under its control.
During the hearing, the Tribunal also rapped SDMC for "conflict and contradiction" in the stand taken by it.
SDMC had on September 3 last year told the bench that they have already removed the entire encroachments in the area and if any encroachment was still there, it shall be removed within three weeks.

Later, SDMC told the bench that "Khaira Road", where trucks, tractors and other vehicles were illegally transporting the building materials, was not within its jurisdiction and it falls with the PWD and Delhi Police and thus no action can be initiated by the corporation.

The Tribunal's direction came on a petition filed by Ravinder Yadav, an Assistant Professor in a government college in Haryana, who had alleged that authorities have turned a blind eye to the encroachments in Khaira Road area.
"Building material is illegally being dumped by tractors (originally used for agricultural purposes) and trucks on the Khaira Road resulting in environmental pollution," it had said.
The Tribunal had also directed PWD to pay one day's salary (Rs 1,800) to Yadav as he has to appear regularly due to which his work in the college is being hampered.