NGT asks civic agencies desilt Barapullah drain in 3 months

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday directed civic and drain-owning agencies in the Capital to implement the recommendations of the chief secretary, including carrying out a bathymetric survey of the Barapullah drain, de-silting it completely within three months, covering it by concertina wires on either side and forming a multi-agency committee to remove encroachments alongside the Barapullah and its subsidiary drains.

The development came days after the green body expressed disappointment over agencies not taking responsibility to desilt and dredge the drain.

“None of the parties have opposed the (chief secretary’s) recommendations... Hence, we direct that all the authorities concerned will implement the above recommendations having due regard to the submission of the applicant, as expeditiously as possible,” said the tribunal in its order dated August 6, which was shared on Wednesday.

In its earlier order, NGT directed the chief secretary to convene a meeting of all agencies to fix responsibility and take action. In his submission to respond to the tribunal, chief secretary Naresh Kumar said inspections were carried out by him, senior officials and the lieutenant governor on August 4, where several key points in the drain were found to be clogged. This included its supplementary drains Kushak and Sunehri.

The recommendations, submitted on August 5, suggest a bathymetric survey to be carried out for Barapullah and its supplementary drains. A bathymetric survey plots the drain’s contour and topography and can show obstructions along the way.

The chief secretary added that the drain needs to be delisted 100% in the next three months, for which an adequate number of machines need to be deployed and concertina wires need to be installed on either side to prevent dumping of waste. He said the Irrigation and Flood Control department will be responsible for the desilting.

“Also, there is a requirement of removal of all the encroachment from the drain bed, for which a multidisciplinary team comprising officers from MCD, NDMC, IFCD, PWD, DUSIB and Delhi Police under the chairpersonship of concerned District Magistrate shall undertake day-to-day operations for removal of such encroachment,” Kumar said, adding that out of the 12 arches of the heritage Barapullah bridge, four had become clogged through slum dwellers from the nearby Madrasi camp. The bridge itself was encroached upon by a vegetable market, the submission read.

In his observations, the CS further flagged obstructions in the drain, which included barges, cement concrete blocks and abandoned pipelines which were presently lying in different parts of the drain.

Meanwhile, LG VK Saxena shared the before and after pictures of the Kushak drain – a 6.5km drain that eventually meets the Barapullah drain — and said considerable progress had been made since he and other officials visited the drain on August 4.

“It took just three days to restore the heavily silted, sludge-filled & clogged Kushak Nalla into a free-flowing drain. All it required was a bit of concerted efforts, a sense of responsibility towards Delhi and an obvious intent to work for the people,” the LG said on the social media platform X.

“With joint efforts of concerned agencies, since my inspection and subsequent directions on August 4, thousands of tonnes of silt & debris have been removed that had choked the drain completely, leading to flooding in neighbouring areas,” he added.

HT reached out to MCD and the I&FC department but neither responded to queries seeking comments.