Delhi High Court orders laying down of new sewer line across AIIMS
The Delhi High Court has directed the authorities to lay down a new sewer line across AIIMS premises to tackle the problem of waterlogging in Green Park Extension and surrounding areas.
The Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the order on a petition filed by one Shailendra Bhatnagar.
It observed that the new sewer line was needed to be laid across the AIIMS Residential complex over the required extent of land and the overarching public interest involved in the matter.
AIIMS had earlier opposed the proposal on the grounds that the sewer line was proposed to be laid on land owned by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which was earlier not a party to the plea.
The medical institute had further raised objection to the proposed laying of a sewer line across its premises on the grounds that the water logging in the concerned area was not attributable to any inadequacy in the existing sewer infrastructure. It pointed out that the primary cause of water logging in the concerned areas was ineffective functioning of the rainwater drainage system.
The Division Bench had then impleaded NDMC and directed it to hold a meeting to ascertain the feasibility of providing NDMC land within the AIIMS premises for laying down the sewer line.
On June 18, the NDMC, the DJB, AIIMS and the petitioner made their submissions before the High Court.
The DJB apprised the Division Bench that during the recent rains in the national capital, there has been no water logging in the Green Park Extension area owing to consistent and persistent cleaning of the sewer lines by DJB. The l sewer line, which was to be laid across AIIMS, would not be more than 200 meters long and only require about 130 meters of land within the AIIMS premises, it added.
The High Court observed that in view of the above circumstances, it did not doubt the necessity of laying sewer line across the AIIMS premises to prevent water logging in the concerned areas.
It directed both the DJB and the MCD to complete de-silting and cleaning of the sewer line and the storm water drain on a regular basis during the current monsoon season so as to prevent any water logging in the areas in question.
The Division Bench further ordered that a meeting be held by the Chief Engineer of DJB with AIIMS, MCD, NDMC, PWD and any responsible officials from Delhi government’s Forest Department to ensure that if any approval was required for uprooting and replantation of trees that fall in the path of the sewer line, the same could also be obtained.
