Delhi govt sets November deadline to clear Yamuna floodplains of encroachments

The Delhi government has directed agencies to remove all encroachments from the Yamuna floodplains by November under a 45-point action plan for cleaning and rejuvenation of the river, officials said on Saturday.

The plan, approved by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, was discussed in a recent meeting chaired by the chief secretary. It involves key departments and agencies including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, and Delhi Development Authority (DDA), they said.

According to the plan, the DDA has been instructed to ensure the removal of encroachments wherever necessary along the floodplains of the Yamuna by November. In the past, the agency has acted against illegal nurseries and other unauthorised structures along the river.

Officials said encroachments, including waste dumping, unauthorised habitations, and illegal farming, are commonly reported from the floodplain areas in east, northeast, and south Delhi.

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In recent years, the DDA has reclaimed 224 acres of floodplain land and developed public green spaces like Asita in East Delhi.

The DDA, in April, informed the National Green Tribunal that it had freed 24 acres of land from encroachment under the Yamuna Vanasthali project between Wazirabad Barrage and ISBT Kashmere Gate.

However, officials acknowledged that anti-encroachment drives often face resistance from squatters and are hindered by the absence of proper demarcation of the floodplain zones.

A DDA survey last year claimed that two-thirds of the Yamuna floodplain land in Delhi has been encroached upon in recent years.

The action plan also includes directives for agencies to remove all forms of encroachment from drains flowing into the Yamuna.

The MCD, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and DDA have been tasked with clearing encroachments from all stormwater drains through a focused drive, while the MCD and I&FC departments will address encroachments along drain alignments.

Ongoing and new projects related to Yamuna rejuvenation have been consolidated under ten working heads, including drains, sewage, solid waste management, ecological flow enhancement, and enforcement, with specific deadlines.

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The Yamuna flows for 52 km through Delhi, of which the 22-km stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla is the most polluted and a key focus of planning and policy initiatives.

Cleaning the Yamuna is a flagship commitment of the BJP government. In its first budget, the government allocated Rs 9,000 crore to the water and sewerage sector, officials added.