Delhi riverbanks an ecological battleground for developers
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NEW DELHI: Environmentalists have warned that a large riverside development designed to house athletes who will descend on Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 will expose the capital to the risk of severe flooding and cause irreversible ecological damage.
Work began in September on preparing the soil for the development, which takes up a 43-hectare, or 107-acre, stretch of the Yamuna flood plain. But environmental campaigners have lodged a petition with the Delhi High Court, which they hope will stall the project before building begins.
A preliminary petition examined by the court this month warned that the project would "permanently impair the ability of the river bed to recharge ground water," thus depriving the city of vital water supplies, as well as exposing the capital to "increased threats of damage" during the flood season.
The claim, lodged by the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, or Yamuna Forever Campaign, along with India's National Trust for Art and Heritage, said that the "rapid pace at which destructive activities are being undertaken" along the flood plain "puts a question mark on the survival of the river itself" and would "threaten the lives and livelihood of the people of Delhi unless urgent action is taken to stop what is happening." The High Court is scheduled to hear further arguments at the end of this month.
The coming of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 has put new pressure on India to update the capital's sagging infrastructure. Roads are to be widened in the center of the city to accommodate the extra visitors, and subway stations will be opened near the sites of newly upgraded sports stadiums.
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Campaigners claim the Delhi government's stated goal of transforming the capital into a "world-class city" by the 2010 deadline is forcing the unwise development of previously untouched green areas of the capital.
Manoj Misra, a conservationist who previously worked with the Indian government's Forest Service and now leads the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, is spearheading the action against the flood plain project.
"We agree that the Commonwealth Games is a prestigious event, but this place is the worst possible site for the games village. It is both environmentally unsound and a dangerous, high-risk site," Misra said. He added that the recommendations of four environmental impact studies on developing the river area, published by the World Bank and others, had been overlooked because of the city government's determination to develop this stretch of land.
A report released by his organization warned that building on the flood plain would trigger worse flooding further down the river during severe monsoons. It argued that the project would destroy the natural reservoir, which collects water supplies during the monsoon and releases them gradually through the year. It also questioned whether the deep, sandy shore area would prove secure enough for 10-story buildings, adding that the site was also on an earthquake fault line.
"The state should preserve this land as a water sanctuary. This is the most secure source of water for the city," Misra said. If this green area has to be developed, it should instead be made into a public park and tourist attraction, he suggested.
Defending the project, Delhi's chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, recently told the Indian news media: "Show me another city in the world which has not developed its riverbanks. Development has to take place."
But Misra argued that the severity of India's annual monsoons meant building near the riverbanks was unsafe. "This is not the Thames," he said.
Michael Hooper, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, who was in Delhi recently for talks with partners here, said he had first been made aware of environmentalists' concerns last year. When he discussed them with the Indian authorities responsible for the site, he was given assurances that all appropriate environmental regulatory processes would be followed, he said.
"We accepted those assurances, and we rely on them," he said by telephone. "This is now a matter for the courts to review."
Hooper added that Delhi had won the bid to host the games in 2003 after pledging to provide a safe and secure environment for the athletes. "One would assume that they will deliver on these commitments. We are sure that they will," he said.
Ranjan Mukherjee, a senior official with the Delhi government working on preparations for the Commonwealth Games, said the development would have "no impact at all on the river."
"The government is equally worried and determined to safeguard the river," he said. "We are committed to ensuring that the river lives. Come 2010, you will find that the quality of water has improved 200 percent."
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