The destruction of waterbodies in Delhi is a glaring consequence of institutionalized corruption and the failure of the legal system to uphold the rule of law. Despite clear legal precedents from the Courts in India mandating the protection of waterbodies as a paramount duty of the state, ongoing violations continue unchecked. Our evidence demonstrates that a urban village pond land is unlawfully used by the Delhi Government to construct a cultural center building, an act that directly contravenes these legal directives.
Shockingly, the Court remains indifferent to the destruction of this vital waterbody, accepting false submission by the Administration denying the existence of the pond. This is despite the fact that the government department, which sold the land to other department, has itself admitted that the land is a pond, though falsely labeling it as barren. Our investigation reveals clear evidence of green cover and fully grown trees that have now been destroyed by the contractor—a testament to the fact that this was not barren land, but an ecologically significant area. Yet, the court has chosen to side with bureaucratic misinformation, disregarding both the environmental importance of waterbodies and the rule of law. This case highlights the corruption and negligence that are eroding Delhi’s natural resources, while the judiciary turns a blind eye. It is time for urgent action to hold accountable those responsible for these illegalities and to restore our waterbodies before it is too late.
This Presentation illustrates the waterbodies spread across the Delhi that grew on village lands leaving the village commons excluded in city planning. Through GIS technology, they have been mapped to point out the uncomfortable truth that unfolded in a village that now the government wants to bury about commons. A phenomenon that is ensuing in villages exposed to urban transformation in India.
