DTC’s Millennium depot to get legal status, DDA agrees to change land use
18 April 2013 8:11 AM IST
Millennium Bus Depot of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the largest bus depot in the world, is all set to get a permanent legal validity as Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to change the land use by overruling the concerns of environmentalists in the city. The authority has now invited objections or suggestions from citizens with respect to proposed modification in the Master Plan 2021.
‘The invitation of objections or suggestions is just a formality as Delhi government and DDA have already decided to change the landuse from current River & Water Body to Transportation,’ said Vinod Jain, president of Tapas, who fought a long legal battle in Delhi high court to remove it. As per Zone Development Plan of the Master Plan,the area comes under Zone ‘O’ which is earmarked as Yamuna River and Water Body and DDA had earlier planned to construct a recreation park in the area with a view to conserve ecosystem. But now, DDA has decided to change the land use of 51.06 acre of land to legalise the depot with a rider that DTC will utilise the area in an efficient manner and maximise green cover. Besides, the area should be utilised only for bus parking and DTC will ensure that no effluents from the area are discharged in to the river.
The bus depot had initially been planned as a temporary structure, specifically for the Commonwealth Games and it was supposed to be removed after CWG games but Delhi government refused it to demolish in the interest of huge investment and infrastructure facility to the city. The depot which was inaugurated on 17 September 2012, exists on 60 acres of land and have a capacity to park 1,000 buses at a time.
‘We will demand the DDA to make a system with provisions of penal action if DTC discharges effluents in the river. If the city has to sustain we have to save the river. The decreasing water level and water crisis is a serious concern but the government is encroaching the river bed on the name one or other project’ said Goving Singh, Cofounder of Delhi Greens. ‘The government projects like CWG Village, Yamuna Bank Metro station and depot, Akshardham Temple and third phase of Delhi Metro have made enough damage to water body. It must stop now,’ added Singh. The environmentalists are of the view that such project damage wet lands and underground water.
‘The invitation of objections or suggestions is just a formality as Delhi government and DDA have already decided to change the landuse from current River & Water Body to Transportation,’ said Vinod Jain, president of Tapas, who fought a long legal battle in Delhi high court to remove it. As per Zone Development Plan of the Master Plan,the area comes under Zone ‘O’ which is earmarked as Yamuna River and Water Body and DDA had earlier planned to construct a recreation park in the area with a view to conserve ecosystem. But now, DDA has decided to change the land use of 51.06 acre of land to legalise the depot with a rider that DTC will utilise the area in an efficient manner and maximise green cover. Besides, the area should be utilised only for bus parking and DTC will ensure that no effluents from the area are discharged in to the river.
The bus depot had initially been planned as a temporary structure, specifically for the Commonwealth Games and it was supposed to be removed after CWG games but Delhi government refused it to demolish in the interest of huge investment and infrastructure facility to the city. The depot which was inaugurated on 17 September 2012, exists on 60 acres of land and have a capacity to park 1,000 buses at a time.
‘We will demand the DDA to make a system with provisions of penal action if DTC discharges effluents in the river. If the city has to sustain we have to save the river. The decreasing water level and water crisis is a serious concern but the government is encroaching the river bed on the name one or other project’ said Goving Singh, Cofounder of Delhi Greens. ‘The government projects like CWG Village, Yamuna Bank Metro station and depot, Akshardham Temple and third phase of Delhi Metro have made enough damage to water body. It must stop now,’ added Singh. The environmentalists are of the view that such project damage wet lands and underground water.
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