Shifting of Millennium depot:HC seeks progress report from DDA

Delhi High Court ordered DDA to give progress report along with time table on shifting to 3 locations the DTC Millennium bus depot, built at cost of Rs 60 crore on Yamuna river bed ahead of CWG.

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Friday ordered DDA to give a progress report along with a time table on shifting to three locations the DTC Millennium bus depot, built at a cost of Rs 60 crore on the fragile Yamuna river bed ahead of 2010 Commonwealth Games. Justice S K Mishra gave the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) time till the next date of hearing to file its report after the court was told by the land developing agency that it will need more time to implement the decision of the Lt Governor to relocate the depot to three other locations.

"Director, Planning, DDA to file an affidavit setting out a progress report in the matter along with a time table... The affidavit will also contain the names and particulars of all the agencies and officials who will be involved in the process. "Every step taken (by the DDA) shall be examined on its own merit," the court said and listed the matter for further hearing on May 1. DDA told the court that after the March 3 communication from the LG`s office to relocate the depot, the agency resolved the issues of identification of land for relocation and the cost of the same, but it needs more time to sort out the issue of change of land use. As per the March 3 communication, the LG has decided that DDA will allot 20 acres of land at Millennium park as well as Rohini IV to DTC for its depot. It was also decided by the LG that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will shift its Institute of Driving and Traffic Research, running on an approximately 10 acre piece of land at Sarai Kale Khan, to a vacant site at Narela to be alloted by DDA, and the area at Sarai Kale Khan will also be used for relocating the depot. The entire process, including obtaining necessary approvals for financial resources through coordination between the different authorities, was to be completed by March 7, 2014, the communication also said. During the proceedings, the court was not happy with the arguments of the DDA and asked it to show that DTC is not shifting despite allocation of land to it. Accepting the need for a bus depot to cater to a large population of commuters in the city, the court had earlier granted to the city government time till March 12, 2013 to amend the Master Plan and change the use of the land from river and water body to transportation. The order had been passed on a plea of environmentalists Anand Arya and Manoj Mishra against the depot being constructed on flood plain which was earmarked in the Master Plan for recreational activities like biological park etc. The petition had said the clearance for the bus depot was given by the LG for construction of a temporary structure to be demolished after conclusion of the 2010 Commonwealth Games as the same was being used for buses ferrying the athletes. After the deadline of six months expired, they had moved the contempt petition. The bus depot, spread over a 60-acre-plot along the western banks of the Yamuna, has parking space for around 1,000 low-floor buses besides various other facilities, including five workshop-cum-scanning centres, a logistic centre and two CNG-filling stations.