RWA’s - NGO’s - ACTIVIST’s ‘SAVE OUR CITY’ CAMPAIGN - Delhi’s Master Plan by DDA …… DELHI DERELICT AUTHORITY - This Petition will be Delivered to DDA on 09-06-2018 for Public Hearing
Dear Fellow Citizens,
We wish to inform you that the Proposed Amendments / Modifications in DDA’s Public Notice dated 26-05-2018 are the same as in their previous Public Notice of February 2018.
We expected that after Five Months of SC Hearings and umpteen oral and recorded Observations of the Hon’ble Judges, DDA will factor in the issues that have been flagged therein. They have not included in even those Points that they had promised in their Affidavit to the Hon’ble Court.
Dutifully DDA mentions the MC Mehta vs Union of India {WP(C) No.4677/1985} case, seemingly without reading the Judgment dated 16-02-2006. We reproduce a few extracts for you to decide whether DDA has understood a word of the stated purpose of the said Judgment.
“…….Keeping future needs in view, experts prepare Master Plans. A perusal of the Delhi Master Plan, 1962 and 2001 shows what were plan projections. At the time of planning, the experts in the field of town planning, take into account various aspects, such as healthy living, environment, lung space need, land use intensity, areas where the residential houses to be built and where the commercial buildings to be located, need of household industries etc.
Provision for household industries in residential areas does not mean converting residential houses in the commercial shops. It only means permitting activities of household industry in a part of a residential property. It does not mean that residential properties can be used for commercial and trading activities and sale and purchase of goods. Master Plan contemplates shops in District Centres, Community Centres, Local Shopping Centres etc. and not in residential areas. Be that as it may, for the present, we are not considering the cases of small shops opened in residential houses for catering to day-to-day basic needs, but are considering large-scale conversion, in flagrant violation of laws, of residential premises for commercial use……”
“…..Now, we revert to the task of implementation. Despite its difficulty, this Court cannot remain a mute spectator when the violations also affect the environment and healthy living of law-abiders. The enormity of the problem which, to a great extent, is the doing of the authorities themselves, does not mean that a beginning should not be made to set things right. If the entire misuser cannot be stopped at one point in time because of its extensive nature, then it has to be stopped in a phased manner, beginning with major violators. There has to be a will to do it.
We have hereinbefore noted in brief, the orders made in the last so many years but it seems, the same has had no effect on the authorities. The things cannot be permitted to go on in this manner forever. On one hand, various laws are enacted, master plans are prepared by expert planners, provision is made in the plans also to tackle the problem of existing unauthorised constructions and misusers and, on the other hand, such illegal activities go on unabated openly under the gaze of everyone, without having any respect and regard for law and other citizens…….”
MEANING MISUSE OF RESIDENTIAL SPACES will be phased out and prioritize as to which violations will be taken up first.
DDA THROUGH ITS PUBLIC NOTICE IS DOING THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT SUPREME COURT EXPECTS AND IS TRYING TO LEGALISE MISUSE IN A PHASED MANNER…….
Moreover, THERE IS NOT A WORD MENTIONED ABOUT THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENT WHICH FORMS THE VERY SOUL OF MC MEHTA’S PETITION.
Guest Houses & Surrogate Business have long Hoodwinked the Master Plan. Likewise, Professional Firms of LAWYERS/CA’s/ARCHITECTS/DOCTORS etc in the guise of SELF EMPLOYED PROFESSIONALS are the new threat to RESIDENTIAL PEACE.
The law was envisaged to allow Professionals to conduct vocation FROM THEIR RESIDENCE occupying no more than 30% space. There is no control over Timings or Parking Availability resulting in Neighbourhood Fights.
ONLY PROFESSIONALS IN SELF OCCUPIED & ACQUIRED PROPERTY should be allowed with the restriction of Closing Time as in the case of RULES OF ALLOTMENT OF CHAMBERS IN HC/SC from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM and no more than 4-5 total employees/staff.
WE REQUEST CITIZENS TO SIGN UP IN LARGE NUMBERS to get our concerns addressed as we have little faith in DDA’s ability to protect the City or Resident’s Lives. In the previous haphazardly organized Public Hearing, DDA had invited all Stake Holders having divergent Objections and Interests together, thus creating the acrimonious environment, not conducive to a fair hearing.
Many participants had to face threats of physical violence, therefore we request the following:-
1. DDA should invite RWAs, Traders, Village Stakeholders etc on SEPARATE DAYS. RWAs do not wish to appear in ‘Open to All’ Public Hearing.
2. DDA has asked for complete details of petitioners..... Privacy of individuals must be ensured......
Last time they had placed complete details with home address/mobile/email on website leading to THREATS and TROLLING.
3. DDA must place EIA Report, Area Density, Availability of Resources and Infrastructure necessary for Healthy Living as per laid out norms in Sec-11A(1) of DDA Act, 1957. What was the fate of Suggestions placed by RWAs in February ??? Which of them were agreed upon ???
4. DDA must prepare and place in Public Domain, AREA WISE IMPACT STUDY to educate the residents so that they can make an informed intervention/choice. Most of the residents don't understand the consequences of these amendments. The advertisement is also placed in a manner that it has not got the desired attention of the public, it is like a regular tender notice of DDA.
5. Punitive Action should be taken against officials (Including Seniors) under whose watch the illegalities happened. The matter should be investigated on Basis of Ground Reality and not File Noting, as on paper all action is always recorded with Notices and Photographs.
Delhi has become a nonstop Urban Jungle in Seismic Zone IV with INTERMINGLING HABITAT & LIVELIHOOD and unplanned Rickety Structures. Everything that Ails Delhi Today is the result of flawed MPD-2021 ...... Smog, Crime, Parking, Traffic Jams, Untreated Sewage, Water Logging, Encroachments, Overloaded Hospitals & Public Transport, Lack of School & College Seats etc.
In conclusion, we wish to state,
Commercial Activity of any kind in Residential Colony is a SECURITY NIGHTMARE, not to mention its impact on Environment. The Monitoring Committee in its wisdom has started sealing the Markets, IGNORING THE REAL MENACE, Commercial Establishments on City Streets.
Joint Signatories:
1. CHETNA (NGO), Anil Sood,
2. CONRWA, Chetan Sharma,
3. Delhi RWA’s Joint Front, Pankaj Agarwal,
4. Delhi Residents Forum, Varinder Arora,
5. Defence Colony, RWA, Maj. Ranjit Singh, President
6. Defence Colony, RWA, Gen. Sidhu,
7. Dwarka Forum, Rejimon,
8. East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, B.S. Vohra,
9. Friends of Rajouri Garden Environment, Sachin Sapra,
10. GK-1 RWA, Rajiv Kakria,
11. Ishwar Nagar RWA, Anant Trivedi,
12. Janakpuri RWA, Gulshan Rai,
13. Poster Hatao (NGO), Munirka Vihar, Col. Shivraj,
14. Rajinder Nagar RWA, D.M. Narang,
15. United Residents of Delhi-URD, Saurabh Gandhi, Gen. Secy.
the list will grow as we go along.......
