DMRC starts removing soil dumped along Hindon river

The agencies concerned have started removing soil dumped along the Hindon river after an activist filed a complaint about dumping of soil on the banks of river to facilitate construction of pillars for the 9.41-km Metro project in Ghaziabad

Following a complaint by an activist about dumping of soil on the banks of the Hindon, the agencies concerned started removing portions of soil. The soil was dumped on the banks to facilitate construction of pillars for 9.41-km metro project in Ghaziabad.

The DMRC has started removing soil the from the bed of river Hindon. This was dumped for construction of pillars for the 9.41km Metro extension project. (Sakib Ali)

Activist Vikrant Sharma had lodged a complaint with the chief project manager of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in Delhi on May 9 and had stated that dumping of soil on both sides of the river was obstructing the flow on the stretch below the Hindon bridge, along the GT Road.

“The dumped soil did not allow free flow of the river. After we lodged complaints, some parts of the dumped soil were removed to allow more water through but we are not satisfied with the work. The soil should be removed totally and the place restored to its original position. We are filing a petition against the dumping activity in the National Green Tribunal,” Sharma said.

A petition on river Hindon is already being heard by NGT. In an interim direction, the NGT on September 1, 2015 had issued directions to the officials of GDA, Ghaziabad municipal corporation and district magistrate, to stop dumping waste on banks of Hindon.

“... we direct that the any person, authority, officers or official shall not throw, dump and/or burn any municipal solid waste and other wastes anywhere in the district Ghaziabad particularly on the bank of river Hindon and road adjacent thereto,” the tribunal had said in its order.

In a statement issued earlier and reported in HT on May 10, DMRC spokesperson had said, “The work on the Hindon will be completed by July 2016. We have carefully chosen the summer months for carrying out construction activities over the river since during these months the water flow is comparatively less. We will remove the earth from the banks as soon as the work is completed and restore the water channel completely.”

Officials of the UP irrigation department, which holds jurisdiction over the Hindon, had earlier denied that their department had issued permission for the dumping activity.