Photos: Mafia active on Yamuna floodplain in Delhi despite NGT bans | Hindustan Times
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Photos: Mafia active on Yamuna floodplain in Delhi despite NGT bans

Updated On Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Despite several National Green Tribunal orders over the past four years, banning several activities including sand mining, dumping of debris, encroachment and open defecation in the Yamuna floodplains, fresh evidence shows illegal sand mining, groundwater extraction and the dumping of debris continues unabated with the mafia pursuing these activities. Private security guards employed by the DDA to patrol the floodplain also raise the issue of a lack of visible action towards instances of illegal activity putting into question the role of authorities like the police and DDA, meant to specifically curb them.

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Groundwater pits in use around the Yamuna in New Delhi. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in its orders over the past four years, banned several activities including sand mining, dumping of debris, encroachment and open defecation in the Yamuna floodplain. But fresh evidence gathered over the past six months by a private security agency, hired by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has shown that little seems to have changed on the ground. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Groundwater pits in use around the Yamuna in New Delhi. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in its orders over the past four years, banned several activities including sand mining, dumping of debris, encroachment and open defecation in the Yamuna floodplain. But fresh evidence gathered over the past six months by a private security agency, hired by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has shown that little seems to have changed on the ground. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Along the Yamuna’s bank in Usmanpur Pusta-2, makeshift barricades made of bamboo can be seen dividing the bank into plots stretching up to 100 meters. The guards patrolling the floodplains say each plot belongs to a different gang who gets the rights to dig out sand from a local mafia which controls the entire bank. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Along the Yamuna’s bank in Usmanpur Pusta-2, makeshift barricades made of bamboo can be seen dividing the bank into plots stretching up to 100 meters. The guards patrolling the floodplains say each plot belongs to a different gang who gets the rights to dig out sand from a local mafia which controls the entire bank. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Inside, large ditches mark areas where sand has been dug out from. Vacant during the days, these stretches come alive at night past 9 p.m when trolleys full of sand are loaded into waiting trucks and tractors by local youths. Each trolley of sand fetches around ₹1,500. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Inside, large ditches mark areas where sand has been dug out from. Vacant during the days, these stretches come alive at night past 9 p.m when trolleys full of sand are loaded into waiting trucks and tractors by local youths. Each trolley of sand fetches around ₹1,500. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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The modus operandi is different near Batla House where trained horses and mules are used to transport the sand in bags to a fixed location. The floodplain is a repository of water which helps maintain the water flow even during the lean season and recharges groundwater. Rampant sand mining here impacts the Yamuna’s hydrological balance. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

The modus operandi is different near Batla House where trained horses and mules are used to transport the sand in bags to a fixed location. The floodplain is a repository of water which helps maintain the water flow even during the lean season and recharges groundwater. Rampant sand mining here impacts the Yamuna’s hydrological balance. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Guards on patrol assess a site on the floodplain where tube wells are being used. Thousands of gallons of groundwater are being extracted daily with the help of submersible pumps from the Yamuna floodplains — one of the few groundwater recharging zones left in Delhi — and supplied through tankers to commercial establishments in the city. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Guards on patrol assess a site on the floodplain where tube wells are being used. Thousands of gallons of groundwater are being extracted daily with the help of submersible pumps from the Yamuna floodplains — one of the few groundwater recharging zones left in Delhi — and supplied through tankers to commercial establishments in the city. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Farmers use an open pit for groundwater around the Yamuna floodplain in New Delhi. A report tabled in the Lok Sabha in March states that 56% of tehsils in Delhi have over-exploited the ground water resource making the national Capital the third most ‘over exploited’ groundwater state in India after Rajasthan and Punjab. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Farmers use an open pit for groundwater around the Yamuna floodplain in New Delhi. A report tabled in the Lok Sabha in March states that 56% of tehsils in Delhi have over-exploited the ground water resource making the national Capital the third most ‘over exploited’ groundwater state in India after Rajasthan and Punjab. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Patrolling has also exposed the magnitude of violation of the NGT’s order banning dumping of debris in the Yamuna floodplain. In the past six months, more than 150 trucks carrying around 1,000 tonnes of debris have been stopped. Dump sites at Nizamuddin Bridge and Usmanpur also indicate dumping has occurred over a period of time. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Patrolling has also exposed the magnitude of violation of the NGT’s order banning dumping of debris in the Yamuna floodplain. In the past six months, more than 150 trucks carrying around 1,000 tonnes of debris have been stopped. Dump sites at Nizamuddin Bridge and Usmanpur also indicate dumping has occurred over a period of time. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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In 2006, the Delhi High Court banned construction within 300 metres on either side of the Yamuna except in Majnu Ka Tilla and Kalindi bypass. But debris directly in and around the river points to continued attempts at land reclamation for encroachment. Once debris has been dumped, levelling by roadrollers allows for construction of shanties and unauthorised parking lots. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

In 2006, the Delhi High Court banned construction within 300 metres on either side of the Yamuna except in Majnu Ka Tilla and Kalindi bypass. But debris directly in and around the river points to continued attempts at land reclamation for encroachment. Once debris has been dumped, levelling by roadrollers allows for construction of shanties and unauthorised parking lots. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Cannabis farming is also among activities prevalent along the Yamuna. The DDA claims more than 250 cases of illegal activities have been detected and brought to police notice over the past six months. But police authorities say either no cases have been received recently or the few that were have been challaned and forwarded. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Cannabis farming is also among activities prevalent along the Yamuna. The DDA claims more than 250 cases of illegal activities have been detected and brought to police notice over the past six months. But police authorities say either no cases have been received recently or the few that were have been challaned and forwarded. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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Environmentalists point out that a lack of accountability for so many cases is an abdication of responsibility by government agencies specifically directed by the NGT to stop illegal activities. Meanwhile, the guards patrolling the floodplain claim that in the absence of any visible action on the part of the police and the DDA, their morale is also at an-all time low. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Mar 20, 2018 01:45 PM IST

Environmentalists point out that a lack of accountability for so many cases is an abdication of responsibility by government agencies specifically directed by the NGT to stop illegal activities. Meanwhile, the guards patrolling the floodplain claim that in the absence of any visible action on the part of the police and the DDA, their morale is also at an-all time low. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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