Govt complex nears completion without green nod

Construction of a complex on 29 hectares of land went on for almost a year right behind the posh malls of Vasant Kunj without any environmental clearance before it was stayed by the National Green Tribunal in January.

The complex is being built jointly by Central Industrial Security Force ( CISF), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and National Crime Bureau of Police.

After the NGT stay, CISF applied for a environment clearance with the ministry of environment and forests on February 24.

The land was acquired by the Delhi Development Authority for afforestation after a Supreme Court order in 1995.

Almost 50 per cent work on the complex has been completed.

Activists say the land could not have been allotted to CRPF, CISF, BPRD and National Crime Bureau of Police.

The land is cate gorised under the SC order as “forest” and hence could not have been allotted without complying with Section 11A of the DDA Act, 1955, which deals with change of land use.

A case has already been filed with NGT against the project.

Anil Sood, president of Chetna, an NGO, said the CISF, BPRD and National Crime Bureau of Police had undertaken construction near village Mahipalpur on a land, near Aravali Biodiversity Park in Vasant Kunj, which was acquired from Mahipalpur Gram Sabha under Supreme Court order for afforestation, without getting prior environmental clearance.

“The DDA, CISF, Conservator of Forests, GNCT of Delhi, Environment Ministry and Ministry of Home kept dithering on the issue for almost one year by transferring my applications under RTI. Finally, I had no option but to approach the NGT in January 2015. The clearance, for the project is still pending. The NGT has stayed the ongoing construction,” Sood said.

According to Sood, the area is part of the Vasant Vihar Mahipalpur Ridge. “BPRD’s green clearance application has stated that the project is yet to start and also there is no pending litigation. But the fact remains that the construction has been stayed by the NGT and the project is a subject matter of litigation,” he said.

“A Central Ground Water Commission study says the ridge is a water recharge area. These constructions disrupt the ecological balance,” said Diwan Singh of Ridge Bachao Andolan, adding that these construction work is slowly killing the natural habitation.