Residents living in the colonies through which Delhi’s stormwater drain is crossing are eagerly waiting for the day when the Delhi government will be held responsible for the devastation caused to their homes and vehicles each year during the monsoons.
The Delhi High Court issued a contempt notice to officials of the Delhi Government stating, “Clearly the orders (earlier) are not just being ignored but are being violated with impunity.”
This observation came when Anant N. Haksar, the senior counsel appearing pro bono on a petition filed in the name of Maharani Bagh Co-operative House Building and Welfare Society Ltd. (MB CHB&WS) supported by Maharani Bagh Residents Welfare Association (RWA), though impacting all the neighbouring colonies (that have been severely hit by the annual floods), produced fresh photographs to prove that the earlier order had not been complied with as the ‘Nallah’ was still clogged and filthy with encroachments all around.
The High Court bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, in a strongly worded order on 29th November stated, “A perusal of the photographs shows that the violation is on the face of the court,” and accordingly issued a notice as to why contempt action should not be initiated against the officers of the irrigation and flood control departments and the drain management cell. The court had earlier directed the Delhi government to clear all illegal constructions on both sides of the Taimoor Nagar and Khizarabad drains and to remove all the silt and garbage up to the Yamuna flood plains.
This petition has been clubbed with several other petitions pertaining to related subjects, to name a few: Defense Colony, Jangpura, Mundka village, Green Park extension, and others.
The High Court order also directed all authorities to ensure that the portion of the Taimur Nagar drain seen in the photographs is cleaned up to enable the unhindered flow of water from the drain towards River Yamuna.
Further, the Court ordered the Chief Secretary to call a meeting for all the concerned civic authorities responsible for the drain to create a Special Task Force to ensure the unclogging of this drain.
Shailendra Haruray, member of the managing committee and former secretary of the society informed that Maharani Bagh had moved the court almost two years ago on the issues of covering the nallah, floods, and waterlogging in the rainy season, which was a health issue, as the colony was swamped by mosquitoes and other environmental problems. “Our case was clubbed with that of many other colonies of Delhi. It seems now the government will be compelled to take some action as a result of this order,” he added.
At the next hearing, the contempt notice will come up for hearing.
