Metro embroiled in green row (Times of India 26 April 2012)

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro has again drawn the ire of environmentalists over construction of a bridge parallel to the existing Nizamuddin Bridge. This is not the first time DMRC is embroiled in a green row. Despite a condition set by the Yamuna Standing Committee that no labour camps, construction material yards or batching plants can be built on the floodplain or river bed for the project, DMRC has flattened the area in the intersection of the bridge and Ring Road in violation of norms. These guidelines were hammered out during meetings of the Yamuna Standing Committee on February 27 and March 6. In a letter written by DMRC in reply to an RTI query on March 23, it not only mentioned this but added that "except the bridge, foundation and piers, no other structures will be constructed on the Yamuna floodplain without clearance from the standing committee". The letter also states "the floodplain will not be used for dumping of surplus/construction spoils by executing agencies or vendors and if they do so, a penalty will be imposed by DMRC". When asked about the violation, senior DMRC officials said the land in question had been used for batching purpose during phases I and II and they were not aware of this rule. "The tendering for this particular project was done on September 2011. Since we had used this land for the same purpose in the past, we built it into our tender. "We had told the government why we needed land and we got it. Nobody said anything about it earlier," said an official. But when confronted with the DMRC letter of March 23, the official said the information had probably not been disseminated. "Since tendering was done long before conditions were laid, we have been continuing with the work. Now we will look into the matter and see what can be done. "This will set us back by a bit since there is no other place available near the project site," said the official. Manoj Mishra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan said the site was originally meant for Rajeev Smriti Van and they had pictorial evidence to prove the site went under water during the September 2010 floods. "We have written to LG and asked him to take immediate remedial action," he said.