‘Unacceptable’: Delhi HC takes note of HT report on Rajputana Rifles ordeal

A division bench of the Delhi high court directed the Delhi Cantonment Board “to file a brief status report by Thursday, in this regard”

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has taken cognisance of Hindustan Times report highlighting the plight of Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, whose men negotiate a smelly culvert that overflows during rains on their way to the parade ground -- for want of an over bridge -- and directed the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) to file a status report on the matter, terming the situation as unacceptable.

Soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles use the culvert under the Ring Road near Dhaula Kuan to go from the parade ground to their barracks on May 16 (Photo: Vipin Kumar)

In its report titled “A smelly trail from barracks to grounds: Regiment’s daily battle in Delhi,” published on Monday, HT highlighted the ordeal of over 3,000 soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles, who are forced to march through the culvert to head to the parade ground. They do this four times a day – twice before breakfast and twice after dusk even as the Delhi government has failed to build a foot over bridge.

“This court takes judicial notice of a report... on May 26, 2025, wherein it states that over 3,000 soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles have to pass through a drain which is foul-smelling and filthy when they move out of their barracks and go to the parade ground. The soldiers are required to pass through this culvert four times a day and the said drain is stated to be flooded and is slick with sludge and sometimes near waist-deep in places,” a bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet PS Arora said in an order, released on Tuesday.

The order passed on Monday added: “This court has...given directions from time to time for cleaning of various drains within Delhi since 2024. This particular story relating to the soldiers who have to march through this drain is indeed an unacceptable situation. The report states that a bridge was requested but has not been built. Let the Delhi Cantonment Board file a brief status report by Thursday, in this regard.”

The court took cognisance of the report while considering a batch of pleas initiated on its own to tackle the menace of water logging.

On April 28, the high court directed the Special Task Force (STF) to commence demolition for removal of the obstructions including unauthorised colonies covering the Taimoor Nagar drain, from May 5.

DDA’s lawyer Prabhsahay Kaur submitted that two phases of the demolition were over and the third would commence from June 10 and be completed by June 30.

The court, in its 10-page order, also directed for continuous cleaning of the Taimoor Nagar drain at least twice daily.

“Insofar as cleaning is concerned, the court has also perused the photographs placed on record by petitioners as well as DDA. A perusal of the same makes it clear that the cleaning of the drain must be undertaken as a continuous exercise, with operations being carried out at least twice daily -- in the morning and evening. This direction becomes necessary in view of the ongoing cleaning of parallel drains across the city, as well as the debris accumulating in the vicinity of the drain due to the demolition of encroachments currently underway,” the court maintained.