The Delhi High Court asked a city-based NGO to prepare a detailed action plan on how to revive the water bodies in the capital and sought a report within three months.
During hearing of a PIL on the issue, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri requested Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) representative Manu Bhatnagar to submit the report by August 8, the next date of hearing.
Bhatnagar, who has been involved in the exercise, told the court that he conducted a survey with the help of civic bodies and government agencies and found that there were 508 water bodies of varying size existing in different parts of the capital.
"Some of the water bodies are dry and some others wet... some are small while others are large," he informed the court.
The court also directed the petitioner to furnish area- wise details of ponds, lakes, reservoirs were being used as water bodies and the names of the agencies owning them.
Concerned over the depleting ground water level in the capital, the Court had on March 31 directed the Centre, Delhi Government, MCD and DDA to remove all encroachments in and around the lakes, ponds and reservoirs here and maintain them as water bodies.
{{/usCountry}}Concerned over the depleting ground water level in the capital, the Court had on March 31 directed the Centre, Delhi Government, MCD and DDA to remove all encroachments in and around the lakes, ponds and reservoirs here and maintain them as water bodies.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, MCD filed a report before the court enlisting the actions taken by it in compliance with the court order, particularly regarding Seelampur Drpression (Lake) in East Delhi.
While issuing the direction on March 31, the court had directed the Centre, DDA, MCD and Delhi government to maintain all water bodies as lakes and ponds and see that there was no encroachment around them.
The court had also directed the MCD to draw the plan of the Seelampur Depression as well as the adjoining park in consultation with DDA and police authorities.
The Divisional Commissioner of the Government of NCT Delhi was also directed to do the needful in this respect.
Petitioner Residents' Welfare Association of Naveen Shahdra had approached the court in December last seeking direction to this effect alleging that a sizeable portion of the jheel had been allotted to Delhi Police for construction of staff quarters.