STATE OF DELHI Flood Prone

1977, 1978, 1988, 1995, 200.. (Devastating decadal floods) -NEERI report (2005) Environmental Management Plan for Rejuvenation of River Yamuna in NCT advises due caution
The Yamuna crossed its danger level (fixed at 204.83 m) 25 times during the last 33 years. (page 3.7) Except the Palla embankment, no other bund in the river would withstand a 25 year floods (page 3.9) No permanent structures of residential or industrial nature should be raised in the river bed (page 3.33)

-Uncertainties related with Climate Change with possibilities of increased and devastating floods all over advice extra precaution and permit little liberty to be taken with natural systems like rivers -All developmental planning is ideally to be done keeping the 100 yr frequency floods in mind

STATE OF DELHI Water Scarce

Demand 830 mgd (DJB) Supply 520 mgd (DJB) DJB Sources River Yamuna (410 mgd), Bhakra (40 mgd), UGC (100 mgd) DJB Extracted ground water (2300 tube wells) 100 mgd Real ground water extraction 100 + 310 (shortfall) = 410 mgd (Pvt suppliers, Bottled Water, Pvt extraction estimated 3000 tube wells) 50% of water needs met from underground River Flood Plain (Zone O) is, along with the Ridge, the MOST vital and valuable natural area in the city

STATE OF DELHI Water Scarce

A bird in hand is better than two in the bush Flood plain is an underground reservoir
Annual recharge and dilution of polluted ground water through benign floods each year An estimate (Prof. Vikram Soni) puts the economic value of existing flood plain in terms of just ground water recharge potential as a staggering Rs 10,000 crores annually

Delhi is water wise badly DEPENDANT

We will build dams in Uttarakhand (MPD 2021) We will develop river bed (MPD 2021)

STATE OF DELHI Earthquake prone Delhi sits over an Earthquake fault line (Zone IV) 893 ; 1505 ; 1720 ; 1803 ; 1842 ; 1905; 1956; 1960; 1966; 1991; 2001; 2005 River bed is most vulnerable According to Iyengar 2000, in a 50 yr window 1983 2033, Delhi would experience PGA = .2 g (80% probability of 7 richter scale quake in the region)

Fundamental Duty of the state (Article 48A) The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.

The Supreme Court observed (In the well known Span Motels Case (MC Mehta vs Kamal Nath and others, 1997) : The state as a trustee is under a legal duty to protect the natural resources. In the absence of any legislation (Rivers fall in this category), the executive acting under the doctrine of public trust cannot abdicate the natural resources and convert them into private ownership or for commercial use.

High Court of Delhi

Observations of the Hon. HC, Delhi in the case WP (Civil ) No. 2112 / 2002 and WP ( C ) No. 689 / 2004 dated 08.12.2005 River Yamuna is lifeline for the citizens of Delhi right from its entry into Delhi till it leaves Delhi. The purity, sanctity and the cleanliness of its water has to be maintained. It is repeatedly claimed that the Government is doing its best and has already spent thousands of crores of rupees in the name of Cleanse Yamuna Project. But the common man does not find any visible change. Encroachments on river beds and embankment have become order of the day. No effective steps have been taken to make Yamuna free from encroachments and pollution of all kinds.

Usha Mehra Committee

It is because of this realization that we have entrusted the task to the Committee headed by Justice Usha Mehra (Retired). (VC-DDA; CCMCD; CP-DELHI) We direct the Committee to take up in right earnestness and day-today basis the task of removing encroachments up to 300 meters from both sides of River Yamuna in the first instance. No encroachment either in the form of jhuggi jhopri clusters or in any other manner by any person or organisation shall be permitted. Yamuna has to be re-developed in such a manner that it becomes the habitat for trees, forests and center for recreation. We are making it clear that no structure whether it pertains to religious, residential or commercial or any other purpose shall be allowed to exist.

Let us get back into time for a while

News Item: TOI, 4.5.2000 'Land allotment to temple trust flayed in RS'
The DDA's 'surreptitious' allotment of 30 hectares of land on the Yamuna bed to a temple trust came in for sharp criticism in the Rajya Sabha (RS) on Wednesday. Making a special mention, Ambika Soni of the Congress accused both the DDA and Delhi's Lt. Governor of damaging the capital's environment. She alleged that the land mentioned in the Delhi master plan as part of green belt was given to a Gujarat based temple trust at a 'throwaway price' If a temple is constructed on that low land by raising an embankment, Soni alleged, that would lead to serious water logging and inundation of trans-Yamuna areas like Mayur Vihar and Mandavali. she in fact mentioned an address from where money was being doled out to farmers to silence them.. [and] demanded to know who the police officers had referred to when they claimed they had 'orders from the top'.

IF THE TEMPLE IN RIVER BED WAS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE IN 2000 THEN WHY IS GAMES VILLAGE IN THE SAME RIVER BED NOT A GREATER PUBLIC SAFETY MATTER IN 2007 ???? Our Whole case is just this..

Excerpts from CG 2010 Evaluation Commission 2003 report (What was presented to the Voting members of CGF)

3.4.2 Village 1. The Government is constructing the Village on a pleasant and high quality site. 2. Delhi has guaranteed that the Games Village will be constructed well in advance of the Games although no specific development schedule has been provided (Village construction timetable is anticipated to be 2 years). 3. Post games the Village will become University accommodation. 4. The Village will feature low to medium rise buildings. 5. The proximity of the Village to the airport, city and the venues is excellent and will allow all athletes to live in one Village.

WHAT IS THE STATE CLAIMING ? We have all the approvals ! Consider the facts: 1)Yamuna Standing Committee (CWC) 2) Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) 3) Usha Mehra Committee of Delhi HC 4) Ministry Of Environment and Forests (MOEF) 5) Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) Recommendations of the NEERI report (2005) Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) report 2007

Yamuna Standing Committee

RTI Act response from CWC dated 25 July 2007 No specific permission was accorded by the Yamuna Standing Committee (YSC) to DDA for raising of permanent residential multi storied flats in the name of Common wealth Games (20100 village alongside the Akshardham Temple in the flood plain in river Yamuna.

Central Ground Water Authority

Yamuna Flood plain notified dated 2 September, 2000

RTI Act response from CGWA dated 16 July 2007 seeking

Is the CGWA aware of the plan of DDA to build residential complex in the name of CG 2010 ..including a mall under construction ? No permission for construction of any borewell / tube well has been accorded by CGWA for this purpose.

Usha Mehra Committee

No report (18 reports till date) of Usha Mehra Committee makes a mention of it

DUAC

Accorded approval to the Building Plan in the month of May 2007 27 June 2007 YJA presented to full membership of DUAC The presentation gave evidence for not locating the CG Games Village in the Yamuna Flood Plain. The Commission was of the view that it would be appropriate to set up an independent Committee headed by an eminent scientist for instance Prof. MGK Menon for looking into the merits or otherwise of the matter. (Letter no. 31(7)/2006 DUAC dated July 5, 2007).

MOEF

RTI response received from MOEF informs a) MOEF issued 4 Clearance letters (14.12.06; 22.1.07; 29.3.07 and 2.4.07) b) Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) expressed serious environmental concerns and recommended change of site on 3.11.2006 c) First Clearance letter provided for raising only temporary dismantable structures so that river bed could be restored to the river d) DDA served ultimatums on MOEF on two occasions 16 Jan 07 and 7 March 07. e) If Akshardham could be built then why not Games Village. f) MOEF found serious shortcomings in the CWPRS report of Feb 2007 g) 2nd and 3rd clearance letters on 22 Jan and 29 March 07 provided for DDA to plan for permanent or temporary structures subject to.. h) 4th clearance letter on 2 April 07 provided for DDA to construct permanent or temporary structures subject to Clearly the DDA has extracted the clearance from MOEF not on merit but persuasions and ultimatums (Mockery of EIA process at MOEF)

Where are the approvals?

Yamuna Standing Committee (-) CGWA (-) Usha Mehra Committee (-) MOEF (+?) DUAC (+?) NEERI (-) CWPRS (+?)

The Site itself in river bed is RISKY, UNSAFE and DISTURBED

Earthquake (Residents ever in risk) Floods (What if the decadal floods come calling in July 2010) Disturbed (Next to NH 24 and Railway Line) Sunken bed at site and Polluted water (Ground water is contaminated and unfit for use)
WHO WOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE IF AN EARTHQUAKE (remember Mexico 1985) OR A DEVASTATING FLOOD (Mumbai 2005, London 2007) WERE TO HAPPEN and bring devastation made worse from construction in the river bed ?

In the light of above Do we have a contingency plan for the proposed site? If NO then why NOT If yes, then why cant that plan become THE PLAN today?

DWARKA SECTOR 20

SAFDARJUNG AIRPORT

JASOLA SPORTS COMPLEX

LODI COLONY

PONDERABLE

Clearly a dangerous, wrong and unauthorised / illegal act is happening in the RIVER BED in the city which would badly compromise the ability of the river to recharge ground water but become yet another precedence for concretisation of the river bed. Concerned authorities are not only, not listening to reason and expert advice but resorting to issuing incorrect statements and half truths Safe alternatives exist for the games village site in the city

WE SEEK

CG 2010 Village Immediately shift the site out of the river bed as a win win step from all angles. Heritage issue will get automatically resolved. Future of river Yamuna GONCT 1. Moratorium on any new construction in the river (Zone O) 2. An independent expert committee to review (with public hearing) all existing structures from public safety and environmental impact angle 4. Set up Yamuna Preservation Authority and begin desilting of river bed GOI 1. Notify RRZ (Rivers Regulation Zone) whose draft is lying with MOEF since 2002 2. Implement 1994 MOU between six riparian states of Yamuna for minimum flow of 10 cumesec 3. Review and re-notify EIA norms so that EIA is not required to be commissioned by an interested Party but only by an independent body

Thank you