The residents associations of Gurgaon have moved the Supreme Court seeking a complete ban on any more residential and commercial projects in Gurgaon and surrounding areas. They have demanded that the state agencies should first ensure adequate
water supply to the existing population before thinking of future
expansion.
The petition also sought immediate ban on mass-scale extraction of scarce groundwater and its misuse for construction and commercial activities by the builders. The residents' front claiming affiliation of 80 per cent residential localities have also sought ban on illegal bore-wells in Gurgaon as well as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
DLF Qutub Enclave Residents Welfare Association, Gurgaon Citizen's Council, Suncity RWA and Federation of Residents Welfare Association have jointly moved the public interest petition. They have sought that suitable directions be issued to Union Ministry of Water Resources, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to ensure that people of Gurgaon and surrounding areas get adequate water and to check depletion of groundwater level and degradation of environment due to imbalanced and haphazard growth.
“The quality of life has deteriorated over the past decade. We are worried about the severe depletion of groundwater causing environmental and ecological degradation due to mindless and unplanned development. It is adversely affecting the lives of lakhs of residents here,” R.S. Rathee, president of DLF QERWA, said.
{{/usCountry}}“The quality of life has deteriorated over the past decade. We are worried about the severe depletion of groundwater causing environmental and ecological degradation due to mindless and unplanned development. It is adversely affecting the lives of lakhs of residents here,” R.S. Rathee, president of DLF QERWA, said.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioners have pointed out that in less than 15 years more than 10,000 acres agriculture land has been converted into modern townships comprising state-of-the-art residential, commercial and industrial townships.
Abhey Punia, president of Suncity RWA, said, “The Haryana government has failed to provide adequate water and power to the existing population but continues to indiscriminately release
licences to developers for
more projects.”
What’s more, due to shortage in canal water supply, 70 per cent of the total water demand is being met by extracting groundwater. The Central Ground Water Authority has announced Gurgaon as ‘Dark Zone’ and as per its report groundwater is being drawn three times its recharge.