Delhi Metro stops work on Phase-4 line after notice over green rules violation

This is an area that has been marked as a deemed forest land and work continued despite multiple restraining orders from the city’s forest department.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday said it has stopped digging work on the Keshopur-Peeragarhi stretch of an upcoming corridor, days after the forest department accused it of violating environmental norms.

A view of the ongoing construction work at a Delhi Metro construction site, in Janakpuri. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

HT had on Tuesday reported that the city forest department had pointed out multiple environmental violations on the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram phase-4 corridor, where the DMRC was working on the Krishna Park-Mukarba Chowk section.

This is an area that has been marked as a deemed forest land and work continued despite multiple restraining orders from the city’s forest department. This includes the area around the Najafgarh drain, which is a birding hotspot since it is frequented by thousands of migratory birds.

The report had highlighted that DMRC was issued at least two notices by the deputy conservator forests (west division) ordering them to stop work after trees on the stretch were damaged by digging work and by continuing work on a 5.34km deemed forest land without requite permissions from the central government under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

“We have stopped work on the Keshopur-Peeragarhi stretch and will resume work after all mandatory approvals are met,” Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), DMRC, said on Thursday.

SK Muan Guite, DCF (west division) had told HT that the DMRC did not have requisite permissions to undertake work on a 5.34-km stretch on Road Number 26 between Meera Bagh and Mukarba Chowk and a portion of the Najafgarh drain, both of which are deemed forest areas.

Hindustan Times visited the construction site at least five times between February and August and found that the DMRC has continued construction on the stretch despite the restraining orders.

Multiple notices were issued between February and August, asking the DMRC “not to carry out any construction work on the portion of Road Number 26 and Najafgarh drain”.

The department also filed an FIR against the DMRC on August 14 to stop work.

Responding to the allegations, the Metro corporation had said, “The issue of deemed forest has come in only recently in the month of August as the same was never pointed out by the forest department in any visits conducted. The location of the same is also not established through any authenticated record. It is being established through Google Earth image only where the exact location of the 5.34 kilometres is not known. It may be outside the DMRC alignment as well.”