HC seeks plan to save water bodies

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought a detailed action plan for reviving the water bodies in the city. The task has been given to a non-government organisation (NGO) Intach and the report will be submitted within three months.
Intach''s representative Manu Bhatnagar was present during the hearing of a public interest litigation before the court of Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri.He will submit the report by August 8.
Bhatnagar, who has been involved in the exercise, told the court that he conducted a survey and found that there were 508 water bodies which could be revived.
On the last date of hearing, March 31, the court had expressed concern over the city''s depleting water table. It had directed the Delhi government, MCD and DDA to remove all encroachments in and around the water bodies.
The MCD has already filed a report before the court enlisting the steps it has taken following the court order. The report had specific details regarding the depression in east Delhi which has been encroached by the Delhi Police.
The court had also directed the MCD to draw the plan of the Seelampur depression as well as the adjoining park in consultation with DDA and police authorities. The divisional commissioner of the Delhi state government was also directed to take part in the exercise.
The PIL was filed by the residents'' welfare association (RWA) of Naveen Shahdara. The RWA had approached the court in December last alleging that a sizeable portion of a pond had been allotted to Delhi Police for the construction of staff quarters.