Najafgarh Wetland Encroachment Case: NGT directs DTC to halt construction

New Delhi [India], July 6 (ANI): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an interim order to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on a plea alleging unlawful encroachment on wetland land in Najafgarh.
The bench, comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Sudhir Agarwal (Judicial Member), and Dr A Senthil Vel (Expert Member), in an order passed on July 4, 2025, expressed concern over the absence of a response from the Delhi Transport Corporation, the primary respondent accused of encroachment.
Despite being at the centre of the complaint, the DTC has not yet submitted its reply. The Tribunal has now granted all parties a final two-week window to file their responses and has directed the DTC to cease all ongoing construction at the disputed site until further notice. The next hearing is scheduled for August 20.
The petition, filed by Kartar Singh and others, raises alarm over environmental violations by a government agency. The plea alleges that approximately 30 bighas and five biswas of land in Najafgarh village, officially recorded as a johad (a traditional water body), have been illegally occupied by the DTC, which has reportedly built a bus terminal and a multi-storey commercial building on the site.
Supporting the petitioner's claims, the District Magistrate of South West Delhi affirmed that the land is indeed a johad and is part of the village's common land (Gram Sabha). No Change of Land Use (CLU) clearance or No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department was obtained, both of which are required for any development of wetland areas.
The NGT also noted the submission from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which clarified that the water body had been handed over to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (now under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi) on May 31, 2016. Maintenance responsibilities now lie with the civic body. (ANI)