Illegal construction on Yamuna floodplains: Farmers to fast unto death in protest

They said the buildings are being constructed in violation of the May 20, 2013, National Green Tribunal (NGT) order which directed the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to clear all concrete structures built illegally from notified no-development zones on the NCR flood plains

Farmers of Nagli Nagla village located along the Yamuna river have decided to sit on a fast unto death outside the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate’s office to protest against the authorities for failing to stop the land mafia from constructing buildings on the Yamuna floodplains.

Farmers allege the land mafia is selling residential plots and constructing buildings on their farmland. (Sourced)

They said the buildings are being constructed in violation of the May 20, 2013, National Green Tribunal (NGT) order which directed the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to clear all concrete structures built illegally from notified no-development zones on the NCR flood plains. They also alleged that the land mafia is not letting them do agricultural activities on the Yamuna floodplains and the administrative officials are sheltering the perpetrators.

“Our family has been farming on our ancestral agricultural land for over 100 years. The land mafia is selling residential plots on this floodplain illegally and is trying to grab our land and construct buildings on it with the help of some officials. If we try to oppose them they call goons who threaten us. They have also destroyed our crops. If the administration will not help us, then we will resort to fasting unto death,” said Samay Singh, a member of one of the 20 families who are taking part in the protest.

Farmers said that their families depend on farming activities only because they have no other means of livelihood.

“The land mafia has built structures all around the floodplains and is selling plots, disturbing our farming activities. We fail to understand why the administration is not addressing our complaints,” said Ravinder Singh, another farmer.

Environmental activist and lawyer Akash Vashishtha said that a notification issued on October 7, 2016, by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation clearly states that the state government needs to protect the ecology of the rivers.

“The Noida authority, Gautam Budh Nagar administration and Uttar Pradesh irrigation department together must protect the ecological integrity of tributaries, such as the Yamuna, which flow into the Ganga, as they will help rejuvenate the Ganga. Rampant construction on the floodplains means illegal discharge of sewage into the Yamuna. It is very sad that local authorities are not acting against the land mafia. The authorities must encourage farmers in farming activities her as it helps in river protection,” said Vashishtha.

Meanwhile, authorities said they were looking into the farmers’ complaints.

“We keep demolishing illegal structures built on the floodplains--we even demolished one such structure recently. The irrigation department and administration must also act in such cases. If some farmers have filed complaints with us, then we will address them in accordance with the law,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Suhas LY promised to support the Noida authority.

“The floodplain area is a green zone notified in the Noida master plan. We will support the Noida authority if it starts demolishing the construction on the floodplains. We have directed the additional district magistrate to look into farmers’ complaints,” he said.

The UP irrigation executive engineer BK Singh said, meanwhile, said the area was not under the jurisdiction of the department. “We have ownership only of Yamuna embankment road and the floodplain land belongs to the administration. We will forward such complaints on illegal construction to the administration,” he said.