NGT allows Delhi Metro to construct bridge on Yamuna flood plains

New Delhi [India], Feb 6 (ANI): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted permission to Delhi Metro to construct a bridge on the Yamuna flood plains under Phase - IV of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, in an order delivered on Wednesday, however, imposed certain conditions for the construction.
The NGT, while hearing a plea filed by DMRC seeking permission to construct the bridge, said that the construction should not cause any change in flow conditions or cause difficulty in the barrage upstream or Signature Bridge downstream.
The tribunal said that all the construction activities should be carried out with minimum effect on the flood plains, restoration of the flood plain that may be impacted adversely or otherwise by the construction of bridge alignment in the Yamuna flood plain, the muck and debris generated should be disposed off scientifically and no dumping shall be allowed on the flood plains.
It said that compensation of the trees to be cut during construction and operational phase of the project should be carried out by the DMRC without fail and warned that failure to abide by any conditions thereof will lead to the withdrawal of permissions.
"We are conscious that the Tribunal does not have any assistance to any rival viewpoints to deal with the present issue so as to go into any possible objection to legality - substantive or procedural," the tribunal said in its order.
In order to have a better understanding, a principal committee recommended that Department of Water Resources, RD&GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti may be requested to carry out an integrated morphological study of the river for evaluating the impact created by the existing bridges, etc.
The tribunal said that it may also observe that to ensure further environmental safeguards for river Yamuna and its flood plains on account of such activities in future, besides individual evaluation of such projects on the environmental yardstick, cumulative impact assessment is required to be carried out. (ANI)