Delhi: MCD to cover open dhalao near AIIMS
MCD, in their affidavit dated July 17, also stated that it is not possible to set up a Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations (FCTS) for local waste management in the area since the existing dhalao itself was found to be built-upon a covered portion of the Kushak drain in southwest Delhi.
'...the construction of an FCTS is not possible at this site, as this dhalao is existing on a part of the covered Kushak nallah coming from AIIMS side. It is also to specify that there is no other suitable MCD land available for construction of the FCTS in place of this dhalao,' the affidavit, uploaded recently, mentioned.
NGT was hearing a plea filed in March last year, alleging that the dhalao located barely 30 metres from gate number six of AIIMS, was leading to air pollution, with the foul smell making it tough for residents to live in the vicinity and also impacting the patients.
The MCD, in a previous submission in January had also stated it is not possible to shut down the dhalao, as it handles 12-14 metric tonnes (MT) of waste from nearby areas.
The plan, however, is to cover and improve the existing dhalao, with ₹15.98 lakh earmarked for installation of a gate at its entrance, galvanised iron (GI) sheets for the roof; tile-work; painting and rewashing. Further, it said it plans to increase the dhalao area by amalgamating a part of the office adjacent to it in order to streamline collection of municipal solid waste.
In its latest submission, MCD said an order was awarded in February to an agency to carry out this work, however, the agency failed to execute it on-ground.
'Hence the contract has been closed and his earnest money and performance guarantee has been forfeited after approval of the competent authority..' the MCD said, stating a fresh tender was opened on July 22 – with work to be completed within 45 days of awarding the tender.
'We will ensure that this dhalao is being maintained in good sanitary condition and it is assured that every possible efforts shall be made by the department to maintain this dhalao in good sanitary and hygienic condition, as per the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016..' the submission added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Monsoon Wading: How Delhi Has Built Its Own Way Into Flood Crisis
New Delhi: The flooding that brought large parts of Delhi to a standstill in 2023 is not a freak act of nature. A recent report says it is the outcome of a long-ignored unplanned urban expansion, high rainwater runoff, reduced groundwater recharge and poor drainage networks. Waste disposal in drains and waterbodies, uncleared sewers and drains and encroachment of eco-sensitive areas contribute to the problem. These findings emerged from the Environmental Improvement Plan of Delhi, an assessment of urban flood management in the city after every heavy rainfall. The report states that Delhi's transformation from wetlands and agricultural fields into concrete settlements has dramatically reduced the city's natural capacity to absorb rainfall. Built-up areas now dominate, resulting in higher surface runoff and reduced groundwater recharge. In places like Connaught Place and Karol Bagh and dense informal settlements like Sangam Vihar, compact layouts and lack of planning exacerbate waterlogging. Conversely, in low-density peripheries such as Chhatarpur, Dwarka and Narela, though green, overlap with flood-prone belts of the Yamuna floodplain. The river's banks, once natural flood buffers, have now been taken over by urbanisation. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Several urban zones sit in low-lying depressions with inadequate slope toward drainage outlets. ITO, for instance, suffers from poor natural flow and so regularly overwhelms the stormwater drain network. Hundreds of illegal settlements on the floodplain as well as legitimately built areas such as Mayur Vihar and bungalows in Civil Lines were impacted by the swollen river in 2023, with more than 23,000 people having to be evacuated. In July 2024, the basement of a coaching centre was flooded and took the lives of three students. This year too, several areas have been deluged every time it has rained heavily. A govt official claimed, "Conditions this year have improved significantly, though some areas suffered waterlogging. The usually affected spots like Minto Bridge, Ring Road opposite WHO office, Jahangirpuri metro station road, Zakhira flyover and the Loni Road roundabout did not report waterlogging in the last heavy showers." He also claimed there had been "intense cleaning" of the Barapullah drain because of which any accumulated water receded quickly. The report highlighted choked drains as a factor. The practice of dumping garbage into open drains and waterbodies had blocked major water pathways, while encroachments have blocked drainage lines in Kirat Nagar, Dwarka and Rohini, it said. Delhi's drainage network, maintained by different agencies, totals 3,642 km. PWD manages the largest chunk of 2,064km, Delhi govt's irrigation and flood control department (426km), MCD (521km), NDMC and Delhi Cantonment (374km) and DDA, (251km). Officials disclosed that a committee has been formed to coordinate between the multiple agencies. They claimed that the same party at the helm in the state govt and in MCD, coordination has been better in recent days. The industrial sector also contributes to the problem. While industries produce 32.79 million litres of effluent every day, the existing common effluent treatment plants treat just 63.4 MLD against their capacity of 212.3 MLD. This inefficiency, coupled with sewage system punctures, burdens the stormwater drain network, the report said. A govt official, however, said that the treatment figures in the report related to the earlier situation and these had, as of now, improved. Govt was closely monitoring CEPTs and ensuring that efficiency increased, he said. As rainfall patterns become more erratic due to climate change, the capital faces intense downpours over short durations, a challenge for its already stressed, clogged and poorly planned stormwater system. The report underlines several urgent recommendations to strengthen solid waste and stormwater management, restore and desilt natural drains, undertake reforms to prevent further encroachments and engage local communities in awareness and maintenance efforts.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Yamuna floodplains to be marked with physical boundaries across 17 districts by March
Agra: The irrigation department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the project to physically mark the Yamuna floodplains with visible boundary indicators will begin in Oct, following the completion of the tendering process in Sept. In an affidavit submitted to the tribunal, the department said over 21,000 physical markers ('muddis') will be installed at 200-metre intervals along both banks of the river across a 1,056-km stretch spanning 17 districts from Gautam Buddh Nagar to Prayagraj. The project is expected to be completed by March next year. The development comes months after the NGT imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on the ministry of jal shakti and the central water commission in July last year for failing to act on floodplain demarcation, following a letter petition by Agra-based environmentalist Sharad Gupta. The court stated: "Issue of rampant & large scale illegal mining destroying sand dunes & ravines in the vicinity of Taj Mahal & restricted flood plain zone of the Yamuna was raised through a letter petition by Sharad Gupta based on a news article published in TOI dated March 6, 2022, & cognisance was taken by this tribunal; exercising suo-moto jurisdiction." The NGT had directed the state govt and the Jal Shakti ministry to mark flood zones from Hasanpur to Etawah and Shahpur to Prayagraj. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search Results For Online gaming Online gaming | Search Ads Learn More In May this year, it asked the state to physically demarcate the Yamuna floodplains across 17 districts using boundary markers, instead of relying solely on geo-coordinates, to make the zones more comprehensible to the public. "The decision to install physical boundary markers is a significant step in protecting the ecological identity of the Yamuna. These visible indicators will help prevent illegal encroachments and ensure better public understanding of restricted floodplain zones," said the petitioner. He added, "In Agra alone, where the Yamuna flows for 167 km, the floodplain extends up to 5.09 km on the right bank and 2.55 km on the left. The upcoming work must be matched with strong monitoring to ensure long-term compliance." In Feb, the central water commission had demarcated the floodplains using satellite imagery provided by a Hyderabad-based remote sensing agency. The findings were compiled in a 521-page geospatial report submitted to the tribunal. The 17 districts covered under the NGT's directive are: Gautam Buddh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Jalaun, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Hamirpur, Kanpur Nagar, Fatehpur, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, and Prayagraj.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
Delhi govt abandons ground verification for Southern Ridge notification
New Delhi: A week after announcing a six-month on-ground verification plan for 12 south Delhi villages before finalising the Southern Ridge notification, Delhi govt has reversed its position. The forest department has now informed the National Green Tribunal that it will proceed directly with the notification, abandoning the verification process for these villages. The amicus in the case previously highlighted that govt had sufficient time, noting that more than four years elapsed since NGT requested the Southern Ridge notification. TOI had reported that the final notification under Section 20 for the full protection of the ridge has been pending for 31 years now. The initial notification under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act was issued in 1994, declaring it as a reserved forest. However, the Section 4 notification should be followed by notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act which is yet to be done. Based on a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh, NGT, in an order dated Jan 15, 2021, directed Delhi govt through the chief secretary to ensure the Section 20 notification within three months in respect of the area where there is no controversy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo However, Ghosh filed an executive application in 2024 seeking compliance with the NGT's 2021 order. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The forest department earlier told NGT that it would conduct the final Section 20 notification of the southern ridge, spread over 6,200 hectares, in three phases. The tribunal on July 4 observed that though substantial time has elapsed, the notification even in respect of Phase I has not been issued. In a report dated July 23, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) told NGT that a ground verification of 3,287 hectares, spread over 12 villages, will be done by Jan next year as part of Phase I. After the ground verification is carried out to ensure that these villages are encumbrance-free, the final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act will be issued for these 12 villages, the PCCF's report said. Objecting to the report of PCCF, the amicus told NGT in a hearing dated July 25 that issuing the notification under Section 20 in the three months' time given by the tribunal in the Jan 2021 order for areas where there is no controversy (Phase I) has elapsed. However, in the hearing taking place on July 31, the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava observed, "Learned Counsel appearing for Delhi govt and PCCF has submitted that a decision has been taken that no ground verification will be done for issuing the final notification under Section 20 in respect of Phase I." Govt sought time to submit a fresh timeline for issuing the final notification in respect of Phase I. The matter will be heard on Aug 7.
