The Delhi High Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the DDA on a petition seeking a direction to them to declare Yamuna flood plain as potential aquifers for recharging underground water.Justice Gita Mittal asked them to file their replies by October eight on the petition of an NGO, which contended that the failure to protect the flood plain has caused damage to the river's eco-system.Issuing notices to them, the court also asked the DDA to produce all its affidavits filed before the Supreme Court on a similar petition.In the petition, social activist Vinod Kumar Jain said various projects including some residential complexes have been proposed by the DDA to set up in the river bed, which would adversely affect the recharge potential of the river.The housing body in its zonal plan has proposed to develop the river bed area by constructing commercial and residential complexes, which would cause damage to the river eco-system and also affect its underground water recharge potential.He said only environment-friendly construction should be allowed under the DDA's proposed zonal plan.The Ministry of Environment, in a notification in 2002, had restricted construction activities in the flood plain.However, the DDA was allowed to carry out some developmental plans on the flood plain area of the river, which was violative of the notification, the petitioner contended.
