New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the alleged unlawful construction of Urban Extension Road II through the village pond land in Goyla Khurd, located in the Southwest District of Delhi.
The construction, which took place between 2018 and 2024, is visible in Google satellite images and raises concerns about the loss of natural resources crucial for environmental sustainability, especially as the city grapples with pollution, heatwaves, groundwater depletion, and climate change, plea stated.
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The petition moved by Centre for Youth Culture Law and Enviornment through Advocate Paras Tyagi stated that this construction occurred nearly nine years after the court's 2013 order, which directed the cancellation of all allotments on pond and waterbody lands, and the provision of alternative land. The PIL argued that, in this case, it was feasible to avoid the construction through such ecologically significant areas.
The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rak Gedela sought response of all respondents including NHAI, Delhi Government and DDA etc and listed the matter for March 2025 for detail hearing.
The plea alleges that the respondents, including the Revenue Department of the Delhi Government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), have consistently failed to protect vital environmental assets in the national capital. In 2022, they constructed a significant portion of the Urban Extension Road II through the village pond in Goyla Khurd. Satellite imagery indicates that this was done in a planned manner, disregarding Delhi High Court's orders from 2002 and the subsequent directions in 2013.
The petition also contends that the respondents deliberately ignored these court directives, showing willful contempt for both the Court's orders and environmental concerns. (with Agency inputs)
