Map unauthorised colonies with forest patches, begin development work in three weeks: Delhi CM

According to government officials, the Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) has already mapped around 45 colonies across the city and they plan to cover the rest in the next two weeks.

Two years after the forest department put a blanket ban on development work at unauthorised colonies with patches of forest land, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday instructed the revenue department and the forest department to map the patches of forest land (khasras) in 179 unauthorised colonies and start development work there within three weeks.

These unauthorised colonies do not even have basic infrastructure such as functional water pipelines and sewer lines. (HT Archives)

Most of these 179 colonies – spread across Chhatarpur, Burari, Tughlakabad, Kirari, Sangam Vihar and Chandni Chowk assembly constituencies – do not even have basic infrastructure such as functional water pipelines and sewer lines among others.

According to government officials, the Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) has already mapped around 45 colonies across the city and they plan to cover the rest in the next two weeks.

“We have already mapped almost 40% of the colonies. Small patches of forest land are stuck in these colonies. The forest department had, so far, banned any work in colonies with such green patches. Now, except for the forest patch, work like laying of sewer lines and water pipelines, among others will be planned at the colonies,” officials said.

The decision was announced after the fourth meeting, which was held to discuss the issue on Monday. The meeting was attended by urban development minister Satyendar Jain and environment minister Imran Hussain. Officials privy to the details of the meeting said the urban development department have been asked to notify the government on the mapping of khasras after three weeks.

“Several meetings have been held on the issue. While development work had started in all other unauthorised colonies, these 179 were lagging behind,” said government officials.

Chhatarpur assembly constituency alone has 50 such unauthorised colonies while development work in Burari’s three colonies was stuck, as each has a small piece of forest land.

“There are three unauthorised colonies in my area and three patches of forest land. As a result, no development work could be taken up here. The area has been struggling with open drains and poor roads, which can now be fixed,” said Sanjeev Jha, MLA, Burari.

The AAP government had, on July 20, sanctioned a budget of around Rs, 1000-1,200 crore for development work in unauthourised colonies, barring those falling under forest land and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Delhi has a total of 1,797 unauthorised colonies.