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Delhi Authority Denies Pond Existence
29 Jan
Summary
- DDA claims the Wazirabad site was never officially a pond.
- Official records show the land was acquired private property.
- The site is not listed among Delhi's 1,047 notified wetlands.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has formally told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that a water-filled area near north Delhi's Wazirabad was never an official water body. This statement counters claims that a local pond was buried using inert waste from the Bhalswa landfill. The NGT had initiated a review after a media report highlighted the disappearance of the site, locally known as Jharoda pond.
In its January 24 reply, the DDA, as the land-owning agency, stated that the land was acquired from private owners and is not designated as a water body in any official records. The authority emphasized that possession proceedings as far back as 1983 did not declare the parcels as a 'johad' or pond.
The DDA further noted that the site is not included in Delhi's list of 1,047 notified wetlands. According to replies from the SDM (Model Town) and Tehsildar, the land was originally private property acquired by the DDA. The authority specified that the area was filled solely with inert material, described as non-biodegradable and non-reactive residual matter from processed municipal solid waste.
