The National Green Tribunal while hearing a plea filed by Delhi resident R K Gupta seeking restoration of the Tikri Khurd Lake, commented that DDA doesn’t show any commitment towards conserving water body. The tribunal rapped the Delhi Development Authority over its submission that the Tikri Khurd Lake did not exist in the records and said,” We may only comment that stand of the DDA does not show commitment for conserving water body and merely focusses on technicalities and shifting responsibility which attitude is not consistent with Articles 48A and 51-A (g) of the Constitution, expected from a public body.”
NGT has directed the Wetlands Authority of Delhi to hold a meeting and decide within a month whether the Tikri Khurd lake in Narela here is a wetland. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the Wetland Authority constituted under Rule 5 (2) of the Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017 for the NCT Delhi must look into the matter.
“Wetlands Authority may co-opt DDA as a member of the Wetland Authority under Rule 5 (3) of the rules so that the effective joint decision can be taken to resolve the dispute whether the area falls within the jurisdiction of DDA or Delhi government,” the bench said.