Latest news with #SurveyofIndia
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt renews push to rename Najafgarh drain as Sahibi river
Delhi's Najafgarh drain may soon be renamed the 'Sahibi river', with the city government submitting a fresh proposal to the State Names Authority (SNA) under the urban development department. The move is part of efforts to raise awareness about the historical river, which once flowed along the same path that is now occupied by the drain. The Sahibi River originates in Rajasthan, flows through Haryana, and enters Delhi before merging with the Yamuna. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) The Sahibi River originates in Rajasthan, flows through Haryana, and enters Delhi before merging with the Yamuna. Within Delhi, its course is currently known as the Najafgarh drain. As part of a recent submission to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Delhi government attached digitised survey maps from 1975-76 showing the Sahibi river's original course through the Capital, now channelled as a stormwater drain. The government said a similar renaming proposal was submitted last year, but was returned by the SNA, which asked the city to first obtain concurrence from the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA). A revised proposal is now under review. Efforts to rejuvenate the channel are already underway, officials said, but rebranding it as a river is key to public engagement. 'To generate people's support, it necessitates avoiding use of the word 'drain/nala', due to the stigma and misconception associated with it—that it symbolises a channel carrying dirty water. Therefore, it's prudent to officially name or rename the channel as Sahibi River,' the Delhi government said in its NGT submission dated May 24 and uploaded on June 26. Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of the natural heritage division at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said the Sahibi was originally a rain-fed river, which over the past two centuries, steadily shrunk due to encroachments and agricultural expansion. 'Earlier, the water table was high, and the river sustained itself year-round. Over time, it narrowed, and parts dried up—particularly near Dharuhera in Haryana, where much of the riverbed was absorbed by farmland,' he said. 'The river merges with outfall drain number 8 in Haryana and flows toward the Dhansa Barrage and Najafgarh lake. In that sense, Najafgarh lake forms part of the Sahibi river system, with the river feeding it upstream. Downstream of the lake, the channel was once known as the Sahibi nallah—today, it exists as the Najafgarh drain,' he said. Historical records also trace the evolution of the river's identity. An 1807 Survey of India map labels it 'Saabi nala'. By 1865, the British had excavated a channel from Najafgarh lake to Wazirabad to boost cultivation, and the channel began to be referred to as the Najafgarh drain. The 1883 Gazetteer, Bhatnagar added, described the Sahibi nallah as 'a series of water-filled ditches'. The NGT is hearing a petition filed by Prakash Yadav, a resident of Kharkhara village in Haryana, who alleged that the Sahibi river is being neglected and filled with sewage, causing overflow into nearby farmland. The tribunal has sought reports from both Delhi and Haryana on actions taken for the river's restoration and the protection of surrounding areas. The Delhi SNA, which examines all name change proposals, comprises 29 members, including four MLAs and officials from various state departments. It is typically chaired by the chief minister, with the chief secretary as vice-chair. Proposals are first vetted by a subcommittee led by the principal secretary (urban development) before being placed before the SNA for final consideration. In February last year, the NGT had asked the Delhi government to clarify whether the Najafgarh drain was ever historically known as the Sahibi river and whether renaming it could aid its revival.
Hindustan Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Haryana govt constitutes committees for 'Operation Dronagiri' to enhance geospatial solutions
Chandigarh, The Haryana government has constituted state and district-level committees for the implementation of 'Operation Dronagiri', an official statement here on Friday said. Haryana govt constitutes committees for 'Operation Dronagiri' to enhance geospatial solutions This initiative, launched by the Central government under the National Geospatial Policy , aims to support national development, economic prosperity and a thriving information economy by strengthening the geospatial sector, the statement said. Haryana is among the first five states selected for the initial phase of this national initiative alongside Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, said Revenue and Disaster Management Department Financial Commissioner Sumita Misra. According to the statement, Misra stated that 'Operation Dronagiri' aims to facilitate access to high-quality geospatial data for service providers to address sector-specific challenges in areas such as agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, livelihood and skill development. The Survey of India , the nodal agency for this operation, has identified Sonipat district in Haryana for the launch of 'Operation Dronagiri'. In order to ensure effective implementation, the Haryana government has constituted a state-level committee chaired by the director of Land Records, Haryana. The director, Survey of India, Haryana, will serve as the member secretary. At the district level in Sonipat, the deputy commissioner will chair the committee, with the superintendent surveyor, Survey of India, Haryana, to serve as the member secretary. The district revenue officer, Sonipat, and the general manager , Revenue and Disaster Management, will serve as the members. The committee will play a critical role in establishing the operational framework, ensuring coordination between central and state agencies, and monitoring the smooth execution of the project. They will also address on-ground challenges and facilitate timely decision-making. Misra explained that 'Operation Dronagiri' is a Central government initiative utilizing advanced drone-based mapping and geospatial technologies. Under this programme, farmers will benefit from precise, data-driven agricultural advisories, enabling them to optimize crop yields and resource use. This initiative will ensure that important information about an area is transparent, accessible, and used strategically by the government, she said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab lost 1.13% geographical area under forest cover, 0.28% under tree cover in 22 years
BATHINDA: Punjab has lost 1.13 percent of the geographical area under forest cover and 0.28 percent of the geographical area under tree cover in the last 22 years. The forest cover, which was 4.80 percent of the geographical area in 2001, decreased to 3.67% of the geographical area in 2023, while the tree cover, which was 3.20% of the geographical area in 2001, decreased to 2.92% of the geographical area in 2023. Combined together the forest and tree cover deceased to 6.59% of the geographical area in 2023 from 8% in 2001 as per the Indian state of forest report (ISFR 2023). Punjab' Principal Chief Conservator of forests (HoFF) Dharminder Sharma produced the data in an affidavit before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a petition arising out of a news item 'India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch' appeared in a section of press on April 13, 2024. The NGT taking suo-motu notice of the news item had issued notice to Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board; Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest; Director, Survey of India for filing response and directed Director, Survey of India to submit a report showing the position of forest cover in India with specific reference to northeast from the year 2000 onwards with each five year interval covering the period up to March, 2024. It stated that the matter indicates violation of the provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. During the last hearing on May 9, 2025, NGT had impleaded Secretary, Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, as respondents. After being impleaded as respondent, Principal chief conservator of forests, head of forest force (HoFF) filed the affidavit on May 27, 2025, which was uploaded by NGT on Monday. As per the affidavit, the forest cover was recorded as 2432 square km in 2001 which was recorded at 1846.09 sq km in 2023 while tree cover which was recorded at 1634 sq km in 2001 was recorded at 1475.15 sq km in 2023. The decrease was recorded as 1.13 per centage of the geographical area in forest cover and 0.28 per cent in tree cover.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tension in Ayyappa Society over Sunnam Cheruvu land survey in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Mild tension prevailed in Ayyappa Society, Madhapur, on Monday after residents living around Sunnam Cheruvu staged a protest against HYDRAA officials alleging that their homes were at risk of demolition. The residents claimed that authorities were conducting a survey with plans to evict them, falsely showing Sunnam Cheruvu's area as 32 acres instead of the actual 15 acres. They alleged discrepancies in land records and said they were being forced to vacate without proper justification. Angered by the survey, locals held a rally, blocked the main road and displayed placards along with plastic bottles filled with petrol. This led to traffic snarls in the area. Protesters claimed that a court stay was already in place, but officials continued to harass them. Some even threatened self-immolation if their demands were ignored. Police rushed to the scene, pacified the crowd and assured them their concerns would be conveyed to higher authorities. 'Baseless protests' Responding to Monday's protest by plot owners, the HYDRAA clarified that the SIET layout falls entirely within the Full Tank Level (FTL) limits of Sunnam Cheruvu, located between Guttala Begumpet and Allapur villages on the Serilingampally–Kukatpally mandal border. HYDRAA noted that even a previous draft layout approved by HMDA was cancelled for this very reason. Similarly, earlier building permits issued by GHMC were also revoked. Given these facts, the agency stated that the protests demanding justice over plot ownership were baseless. Don't obstruct restoration works: Ranganath According to HYDRAA, Sunnam Cheruvu spans 32.60 acres, a figure verified by the Survey of India in 1975. Following high court orders, a fresh joint survey was carried out by HYDRAA, Irrigation, Revenue and GHMC, which reaffirmed the original boundary. Courts have repeatedly ruled that encroachments within lake FTLs must be cleared. HYDRAA confirmed no construction has yet taken place in the layout and advised eligible plot owners to apply for compensation through the government. It also urged residents not to obstruct ongoing lake restoration works.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC gives Haryana time till December 31 to notify reserved forest in Morni Hills
The Punjab and Haryana high court has given the Haryana government time till December 31 to identify and notify reserved forest area in Morni Hills. The court criticised the inaction by Haryana government in not completing the exercise even as notification was done in 1987. (HT File) 'The Morni Hills are serving as the prime green cover, acting as lungs for the tri-city of Chandigarh, Panchkula & Mohali. Indubitably, the authorities are required to take a decision, one way or the other, regarding completion of the process which begins with the issuance of notification under Section 4(1) of the 1927 Act and culminates upon a notification issued under Section 20 of the 1927 Act,' the bench presided over by chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sumeet Goel said while adding that the forest secretary of the state would file a compliance report about the same within seven months. '… failure wherein may invite punitive consequences (as per law) for the officer concerned as also other functionaries,' it added while fixing the second week of January, 2026, for filing the compliance affidavit. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2017 by one Vijay Bansal, a Panchkula resident, who had demanded settlement of the area as prescribed under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887. The area was formerly a part of the Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh and became a part of Haryana in 1966. In December 1987, the government issued a notification of reserved forest area. However, the process of demarcation has not been completed even now, the plea had said. The court made it clear that demarcation and survey is to be done by the forest settlement officer (FSO) and not by the revenue authorities, as being claimed by the state government. The appointment of FSO was made in 2018. The court criticised the inaction by Haryana government in not completing the exercise even as notification was done in 1987. 'To permit nearly four decades to elapse without any discernible, substantive action flowing from a statutory declaration is, to put it mildly, an affront to the principles of effective governance and a manifest failure at the end of officers, both statutory and Constitutional. Such inaction on the part of such officers, particularly in a matter of such profound public importance, merits the unequivocal condemnation of this court,' the bench observed, deprecating 'in the strongest possible terms, the protracted official lethargy and its discernible unwillingness to discharge its solemn responsibilities' of identifying the area. The court has now directed that the FSO be handed over all the documents regarding demarcation and survey which are in the possession of the revenue authorities, forest authorities and Survey of India and he be provided with requisite facilities and infrastructure to enable him to make inquiry, entry, survey, demarcation, and prepare map and acquire land so that reserved forest notification is issued and published in the official gazette by the given deadline.
