NGT asks DUSIB to rehabilitate slums in Delhi on top priority

The National Green Tribunal today slammed Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) over the rehabilitation of slum clusters located near railway tracks and directed it to take up the issue as "top priority".
"From the year 2004, you did not get the chance to shift these slums. What have you done to relocate jhuggis in these years? These people are living near the tracks, discharging waste, causing human defacation. These people block the tracks. There is also a threat to their lives on the track.
"You have relocated only 257 jhuggies under this scheme and significant money is still lying with the board unutilised," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said adding, "let the board take the issue of slums as top priority proposal".

The observations came during the hearing of a petition filed by lawyers Saloni Singh and Arush Pathania against the pollution on railway properties, particularly on the tracks.
DUSIB CEO, V K Jain, who was present before the bench in pursuance to its directions, told the green panel that the board on October 5 had held a meeting with the Joint Secretary of Delhi government in this regard.
He said the Board was carrying out survey in six slum clusters and it is in touch with the railway authorities to relocate the slums but the land has to be given by land owning agencies.

To this the bench said,"leave aside your meeting and surveys. We are dealing with this issue for a considerable period of time. We were assured that their resettlement of slums would be done within six months. Nothing has happened till date. We want action to be taken. It is your headache. We do not want waste to litter on tracks and diseases to spread all around."

The CEO said that the board was undertaking construction of flats under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and 25,000 flats have already been constructed.
During the hearing, advocate Om Prakash, appearing for the Railway Ministry, told the bench that they are taking effective steps for maintaining cleanliness of the track of railway property as well as to do plantation.

The NGT had earlier noted that there was nearly 70 km of railway tracks in and around Delhi, of which 22 km violated the safety zone.
Safety zone is the area beyond 30 metres from the railway track.