New Delhi: Central govt will now deal with issues related to Delhi’s O-Zone, which is the protected Yamuna floodplain area. The Union housing and urban affairs ministry will coordinate with agencies on demarcation, land ownership and the status of settlements in the floodplain area.
In a letter to South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Union minister of state Tokhan Sahu said the ministry has held five high-level meetings with stakeholders on April 6, June 8, July 6, July 29 and Aug 18. 92 colonies were regularised in 2008 but were subsequently included in the O-Zone, along with 12 ancient villages inhabited for centuries, according to Bidhuri. A draft central govt notification issued on Sept 28, 2013, proposed removing these areas from the O-Zone, but the matter has remained unresolved.
Sahu said the matter was pending before Delhi High Court in a case involving Vijay Kumar Diwakar and South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Govt’s further action will also depend on the court’s decision, he said. He said the area had govt buildings such as Delhi Secretariat, Akshardham temple, Commonwealth Games Village and Madanpur Khadar resettlement colony.
In the latest meeting, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) sought additional time to compile information from various agencies. Bidhuri had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, seeking relief for residents of settlements in the O-Zone.