75% of Delhi's Yamuna floodplain is encroached upon: DDA

NEW DELHI: Of more than 9,700 hectares of the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, nearly 75% has been encroached upon. Though Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has carried out several anti-encroachment drives, it has managed to reclaim just a little over 400 hectares in the last two years.
DDA data submitted to various agencies shows 7,362 hectare of the floodplains - categorised as Zone O in the Delhi Master Plan 2021 - bear the brunt of illegal occupation and construction.
The data emerged following a survey conducted by DDA, using satellite imaging and drone photographs, on the direction of the Delhi high court. A senior Delhi govt official said that following the directions of the high-level committee, DDA also conducted ground-truthing of geo-spatial maps of the Yamuna floodplains to ascertain the extent of encroachment.

Under Master Plan 2021, Zone O comprises the entire floodplain along the 22km-long stretch of the Yamuna falling in Delhi - from Wazirabad to Palla - spread over 9,700 hectares. In the draft Master Plan 2041, DDA has divided Zone O into Zone O-I and Zone O-II. While no construction will be permitted in Zone O-I, the 'river zone', regulated development will be allowed in Zone O-II. There are around 76 unauthorised colonies in Zone O-II, which DDA has proposed to delineate to regularise the construction activities.
HC has already asked DDA to fence floodplain
The floodplain is a crucial part of the river's ecosystem and important for recharging groundwater.
Officials said there are at least four separate cases going on in the high court and Supreme Court related to encroachment and illegal construction on the floodplain.
The high court issued directions to DDA in July this year to fence the Yamuna floodplain after removing all encroachments and illegal constructions on the river bank and its river bed, as well as drains flowing into the river, to ensure no illegal construction takes place in the future. The court directed the authorities to employ the latest technologies to monitor any upcoming illegal construction.
It also directed DDA to coordinate with all agencies concerned for the removal of illegal occupants, with Delhi police to ensure maintenance of law and order during such anti-encroachment drives.
In a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 13, DDA had said that it had removed encroachments from 401.4 hectares of land on the Yamuna floodplains since June 2022 by demolishing illegal structures.
These included six dairy farms and three cricket grounds, the authority said. DDA also cleared 10 locations of around 3,906 illegal establishments that included jhuggis, cultivated fields, and dairies.
DDA also said of the 10 biodiversity parks being developed in the Yamuna floodplain, four were encroachment-free while the remaining projects had land that has been encroached on, including land under litigation.