HC wants Neela Hauz restored in 5 months (Times of India 20 January 2011)

NEW DELHI: One of the oldest and biggest water bodies in south Delhi, facing extinction due to unchecked construction work, may now be saved. The Delhi high court on Wednesday laid down a five-month time frame for the Delhi Development Authority to preserve and restore the medieval Neela Hauz Lake that lies beneath the sprawling Neela Hauz flyover. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked the DDA, Public Works Department and Delhi Jal Board to "work in harmony and stop pollution of the lake" while giving time till May 31 to the DDA to finish restoration of the water body. HC's order came while hearing a PIL by one Malvika Kaul, a resident of Vasant Kunj, who pointed out how authorities were ignoring the welfare of the endangered water body. Kaul accused government agencies of being indifferent to piling debris pointing out how this construction waste imperiled the lake's existence. On Wednesday, PWD informed the court it had removed the debris and was ready to hand over possession of the lake back to DDA. The DDA has been made the nodal agency in charge of overall restoration of the lake, by a committee of Delhi government officials. DDA's mandate is to ensure the lake is fully restored to its original glory since the flyover over it has now been opened to the public. On its part, DJB through its counsel, Sumeet Pushkarna, assured the bench that none of its entities were guilty of releasing effluence into the lake or causing pollution of the water body. After recording the undertakings, HC gave a month's time to PWD to hand over control of the lake to the DDA which will then have time till May 31 to wrap up restoration work. HC also permitted the petitioner to file a fresh PIL if the authorities failed to carry out their work. Kaul's PIL had raised concern over ecological imbalance caused by construction of the flyover across the lake. It relied upon information collated from RTI replies directed at PWD that showed no environment impact study was done to take into account ecological damage to the water body prior to construction of the flyover. "Preserving this lake is important because it is the only source of natural recharge to ground water in Vasant Kunj. The water level in this area is already very low with a spurt of constructions including malls and housing complexes on the ridge land surrounding Vasant Kunj. These constructions will keep on depleting the underground water unless lakes like Neela Hauz are fiercely protected,'" the PIL contended, seeking HC's intervention. Later, speaking to TOI, Kaul said she was very happy that "bottlenecks have been removed and specifics have been taken care of by the HC". She hoped the lake will now be restored.