NGT directs monitoring committee to look into illegal constructions on Yamuna floodplains

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed a committee, formed to monitor the cleaning of the Yamuna, to look into alleged illegal constructions on the floodplains of the river.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the monitoring committee, comprising retired expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra, to consider the matter.

"This tribunal, vide order dated July 26, 2018, constituted a committee to look into the issues which arise out of order of this tribunal dated January 13, 2015, in the Manoj Mishra case. The scope of the committee also includes illegal constructions affecting the flow of the river impacting the environment.

"Accordingly, we direct that the letter be forwarded to the committee for being dealt with on its own merit. The application is disposed of," the bench said.

The green panel's direction came while perusing a letter of city resident Braham Singh.

Singh had alleged that illegal constructions on the riverbed of the Yamuna, parallel to the DND, have come up in connivance with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and police officials.

This is affecting the ecology as the area is a few yards away from the main stream of the Yamuna river, the letter read.

The tribunal in 2015 had banned dumping of construction material into the Yamuna while imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on violators, and restrained real estate developers from carrying out any construction work.