We will revisit East Kidwai Nagar redevelopment plan, L-G tells HC

The Lt-Governor informed the court that the meeting will be called by the last week of July to take a relook at the plan.

Najeeb Jung has now been asked to to revisit the project and analyse its impact on existing infrastructure. (Source: Express photo)

With the Delhi High Court coming down heavily on civic agencies for “ignoring the basic rights and health of citizens”, Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday told the court that a meeting would be convened to “revisit” the South Extension-East Kidwai Nagar redevelopment plan.

The court of Justice Manmohan had on Tuesday pulled up the government for approving the plan and asked the standing counsel for the Delhi government to consult the Lt-Governor on the issue.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court again pulled up government agencies for “not paying attention to the lives of the people”.

A writ petition filed by senior advocate Amman Lekhi had challenged the proposal to construct nearly 5,000 residential flats in 76 tower blocks and over one lakh sqm of commercial space in East Kidwai Nagar.

The petition had alleged that the proposal was a result of “unintelligent urban planing”.

“This court takes judicial notice that the existing infrastructure of road, water and electricity in Delhi and, in particular, in South Delhi is already ‘severely overburdened’,” the court noted.

The Lt-Governor has now been asked to to revisit the project and analyse its impact on existing infrastructure as well as the lives of residents in the neighborhood, particularly with regard to noise, air pollution as well as traffic congestion.

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The court has also directed that senior officials from all the agencies impleaded in the case, including the National Building Construction Corporation, Urban Development Ministry, the NDMC, Delhi Police etc., be present at meetings called by the L-G to look into the issue.

The court also pulled up the government for failing to file a proper written response on the issue. “In the absence of a counter-affidavit by the Union of India as well as the NBCC and DDA, this court is not in a position to conclude that any statutory authority has studied the impact of commercialisation and redevelopment of East Kidwai Nagar on the infrastructure as well as the right to life of residents in the adjourning areas,” the court observed on commercialisation.

“No material has been placed on record to indicate that any proposal for additional road, flyover, underpass or augmentation of electricity or water supply has been approved by any statutory authority in anticipation of the impugned redevelopment plan,” it further said.

The Lt-Governor informed the court that the meeting will be called by the last week of July to take a relook at the plan.

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