SC pulls up Delhi govt for callous approach on encroachment, pollution issues

The Supreme Court pulled up the Delhi government for failing to file any comprehensive action plan to check encroachments and pollution in the national capital. A bench of justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said that government is not serious about removing the encroachments from the streets of Delhi and no concrete proposals or plans have been given to the court. It said that the callous attitude will not be tolerated and government will have to submit a comprehensive action plan with regard to removing encroachments and reducing pollution. Counsel for Delhi government and DDA submitted reports with regard to sealing drive in national capital. The bench said it will consider all the reports during further hearing of the matter on April 2. The apex court had on March 6 stayed any "further progress" in amending the Delhi Master Plan 2021 to protect unauthorised construction from the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital, sternly observing that this 'dadagiri' (bullying tactics) must stop. The apex court had taken strong exception to the non-filing of affidavits by the Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and municipal corporation of Delhi (MCDs) on whether an environment impact assessment was conducted before proposing amendments to the city's Master Plan despite the court's February 9 direction. The court had observed that the authorities were "not bothered" and were not filing affidavits despite the court's order, which was "nothing short of contempt". It observed that the authorities were "not bothered" and were not filing affidavits despite the court's order, which was "nothing short of contempt". The Master Plan-2021 is a blueprint for urban planning and expansion in the metropolis to ensure overall development and the proposed amendments are aimed at bringing a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residential plots and complexes on par with residential plots. FAR is the ratio of a building's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built.