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KHEL GAON - RELAY FAST ON 5TH MARCH FROM 11 AM ONWARDS ... PROTECT PUBLIC GREENS, STOP NOISE POLLUTION, DESTRUCTION OF HERITAGE

PRESS RELEASE

Residents of many colonies in South Delhi like Gulmohar Park, Panchsheel, Hauz Khas, Anand Lok, Niti Bagh, Shahpur Jat and Khel Gaon have been battling for 16 long years against the misappropriation of a district Park by a single Banquet hall owner ‘Asiad Banquets’ who had got the Tower restaurant and a small piece of land around it on lease in nexus with DDA, but proceeded to occupy an entire District Park at the entrance of Asian Games Village by manipulations with DDA officials, posting their security guards at the entrance. This is in violation of the Master Plan in which it is continues to be a DISTRICT PARK.

This is resulting in following problems for the residents :

PROTECT PUBLIC GREENS

We are enclosing photographs of when it was a Park 20 years ago and how it was slowly misappropriated, to which entry of public has been banned. Public land is now in possession of a private person. Many children used to play in this Park.

STOP NOISE POLLUTION

Apart from inability to use the Park there is immense noise pollution all nights from many weddings with loud music and crackers effecting the health of citizens.

Thousands of calls to the Police have no effect.

AVOID TRAFFIC JAMS

Hundreds of cars are parked inside the park and cause huge traffic jams outside also to the residents, including hindered movement of Ambulances. In short every night is a nightmare in this otherwise peaceful area.

We call upon the media for their support to help us in this crisis.

DESTRUCTION OF HERITAGE

The 14^th Century Siri Fort Wall and Bulbul Ki Masjid is inside which has been taken inside his boundary wall including the ASI plaque. It was earlier open on the road.

LOCALS WILL KEEP RELAY FAST ON 5^TH MARCH FROM 11 AM ONWARDS.

WE ARE HOLDING A  ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 5th AND WOULD REQUEST YOU TO KINDLY COVER THIS. WE WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

You can speak to :

Gr. Capt. Jain : 9811449431

Mr. Billy Gupta : 9811020017

Ms. Manju Lal : 9811038343

Warm Regards,

Rajiv Kakria

'Traffic - Ab Bus Karo', with Film Actor Rahul Bose on DD News : B S Vohra

 LINK : YouTube : Must View

VOICE OF DELHI

Please feel free to mail us your complaints, requests, suggestions on various CIVIC ISSUES about Delhi & NCR for uploading on this blog. Please attach pics / vids wherever possible. Please mention your name, address, mail ID as well cell & landline numbers.

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Best Regards

B S Vohra
Team
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Janta Ki Samasya Se Kursi Tak ki Kahani

The reality of Delhi on water front ! Thanks Daily Mail.

Lakes left high and dry: Study finds Delhi has lost over 190 of its 611 water bodies... and is doing nothing to save the rest 

By SHIBAJI ROYCHOUDHURY

Dry and dirty - the Capital's water bodies are dying. With encroachments, sewage and concrete constructions all over them, these reservoirs portray yet another picture of ineptitude in the government and its agencies. 

Of the 611 water bodies in the Capital, 274 have already dried up, while the remaining 337 that still have water are in a terrible condition.

But the DDA, MCD, block development officers and Delhi Jal Board are in a deep slumber even as the city grapples with water shortage year after year.

+3

The stench of apathy and greed is hovering all over these reservoirs. Rather than doing the needful to boost the eco-system and water table in Delhi, the MCD and DDA are busy minting money by selling the dry water bodies to private companies, allowing them to build on the land.

In the process, the Capital has lost over 190 water bodies forever as they cannot be revived, according to a survey released by the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (DPGS) that works under the Delhi government's department of environment. 

The stark reality hits hard when a count is taken. Of the 54 water bodies in Delhi's east zone, 18 are dry and 21 have been encroached upon. In the south, 44 have been encroached upon out of total 120. Furthermore, eight water bodies are polluted by the sewage. 

Only the Central district can boast of a large number of water bodies that have been developed and have a permanent flow. Hauz Khas, the once beautiful reservoir in south Delhi, is covered with algae now. With garbage dumped at places around it, one cannot escape the foul smell that fills the air. 

+3

Most lakes in Delhi are rapidly turning into sewage ponds. Rather than doing the needful, various agencies are selling the dry water bodies to private companies

Bhalaswa Lake in the north has turned into a sewage pond. 

Neela Hauz Lake in the south and Sanjay Lake in the east are going the same way. 

The Kakkadooma Lake in the north, which used to recharge ground water, has been converted into the Ambedkar Park. 

Not surprisingly, environmentalists have raised their voices about the gradual loss of water bodies, which are essential to maintain the groundwater levels. 

"Water bodies are part of the natural water chain on which an entire ecosystem is dependent. Once these natural catchments and reservoirs are destroyed, the chain is broken," said Ravi Agrawal, director of Toxics Link, an NGO.

"Water bodies also contribute to keeping up a healthy groundwater table that has come under serious threat in the Capital. Delhi is already grappling with a serious water shortage," he added. 

Between 1997 and 1998, a total of 21 water bodies had disappeared from the map of Delhi. Most of these were lakes, according to Ritu Singh, a scientist at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). 

Plans to revive some of them never really took off. The DPGS took over two years to compile the list of water bodies under various agencies before conducting a survey to find out the current status of these reservoirs. 

"It was a tough process as we had to gather data from all the agencies. But now that we have an overall idea, we can formulate a plan. For instance, those that have become dry need greening around them for rejuvenation," said S.D. Singh, chief executive officer of the agency.

However, there seems to be no clear picture about the number of water bodies in the Capital.

"The Delhi High Court has over the years got several committees to short-list the total number of water bodies in the Capital. But most of them came up with different numbers," said Vinod Kumar Jain, who founded the NGO Tapas in 1996, and has been working towards saving the water bodies in and around Delhi. 

+3

From picturesque lake to dust bowl

By Ajay Kumar in Faridabad

It is impossible to imagine that what is now only a dry terrain in Faridabad was once the fascinating Badkhal Lake. But this is the reality, and it seems the Haryana government agencies are not bothered about it, even as environmentalists have flagged the condition of the water body. 

And not just Badkhal, the situation is equally grim for the Surajkund Lake which too, has dried up. It's a bleak story in Faridabad that has been hovering for the last 10 years, leading to gradual depletion of the water table.

Spread over three km, Badkhal Lake is now fully dependent on rainwater. But with sparse rainfall, the lake doesn't hold water round the year. 

And the government's apathy isn't helping either: besides impacting the local eco-system, tourism has been hit badly. Jakir Housain, a guide at Badkhal Lake, said tourists are no longer visiting the lake. 

A decade ago, the lake had a source of water from Baniya Khan area in the Aravalli Hills. But over the years, flow in the water channels has been disrupted due to digging. 

"Our tourism business has been severely affected. Only few tourists have been coming to this place for horse or camel riding. We had got a contract for `40,000 to run the business in the lake area, but we hardly earn anything," said another tourist guide, Javed Khan. 

The situation in Surajkund is slightly different. Though it has been dry for many years, the place now attracts visitors for cultural activities.

with thanks : Daily Mail : LINK

Letter to Hon'ble LG of Delhi : Regular meetings at the DC office

Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

Raj Niwas: 6- Raj Niwas Marg,

Civil Lines, Delhi-110054 

Sub. : Regular meetings at the DC office

Dear Sir,

 

Under the Bhagidari scheme, we the RWAs of Delhi were regularly invited by the DC office, for a meeting with Area SDM, to look into the local issues.

 

But seems that BHAGIDARI scheme is no more into existence & therefore, we don’t think, that, they have any such instructions to call similar meetings.

 

May we request you to please look into it & instruct the concerned authorities to regularly call a meeting with local RWAs so that our civic issues could continuously be resolved, as earlier.

 

With best regards,

 

B S Vohra

Voice of Delhi – A group of RWAs & like minded persons

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front – Federation

Krishna Nagar Welfare Society

www.RWABhagidari.com

www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

Letter to Hon'ble LG of Delhi : Not to Discontinue the “Life Line Water Scheme” provided by the previous government in Delhi.

National Platform Against Water Privatisation (NPAWP)

Citizen’s Front for Water Democracy (CFWD)

To                                                                                                                    28^th February 2014

Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

Raj Niwas: 6- Raj Niwas Marg,

Civil Lines, Delhi-110054                                   

                                                                                   

Subject:   Not to Discontinue the “Life Line Water Scheme” provided by the

                 previous government in Delhi.

Dear Sir,

We are quite disappointed to know through mainstream media that the “free of cost lifeline water scheme” started by the previous government in Delhi is at the threat of being discontinued from the next financial year (2014-15) starting from 1^st of April. Under the scheme, people with metered connections are entitled to free water of up to 20,000 litres (20 Kl)per month.

It is quite strange that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has put forward its demand to continue this scheme to the Central Government but the latter decided to do away with this subsidy in the Interim Budget for 2014-15. This indicate a thinly disguised attempt by the Central government to help the private water operators and to push the water privatization in Delhi which got impacted with the pronouncement of the free water scheme in Delhi. If this pro-public and environment friendly scheme be reversed; this will be a big blow to the fundamental human rights of the people for access to safe water as well as a big setback to the much-needed positive steps towards conservation of water through the lifeline water scheme.

Unfortunately, this disturbing news has come despite a clear direction from your office, after the review meeting with the Jal Board as well as Delhi governmental officials, where you clearly expressed that “none of the decision of the former government will be scrapped, including the scheme to provide 667 litres of free water daily for domestic consumption to each household having a meter. You also asked the officials to ensure that the scheme reaches its intended beneficiaries and is not misused by unscrupulous elements”. 

The CFWD and NPAWP have, time and again, demanded for supply of a minimum quantity of free of cost lifeline water to the citizens of India, particularly to the people of Delhi. In the Peoples Water Manifesto prepared by us just before the Assembly Election in five states in November – December 2013, we urged all the key political parties to give their commitment

to provide minimum quantity of free of cost potable water to each family member in those states in order to ensure water security along with the food security under the National Food Security Act 2013. We firmly believe that food security can’t be achieved without ensuring water security. Besides that we had also demanded for the setting up of a network of Piaos (Water kiosk) and public stand posts in different locations to restore the traditional service of free water supply to the people, especially the poor, homeless and other destitute communities on the roads or in jhuggi jhopries, as well as for passerby on the roads.

On 30^th December 2013, the former government in Delhi made an unprecedented decision for supplying 20 Kilo-liters (KL) of “life line water” per family per month to each household ‘free of cost’.  We sincerely  believe that  this scheme would bring  multifold  benefits to water consumers in Delhi by ensuring their right to water besides promoting water conservation through reduction of water consumption by consumers in order to avail the benefit. This scheme would encourage DJB consumers to use precious water resource more cautiously and judiciously because every drop of piped water would count. In this age of high inflation and super increased water tariff, every household would try their best to conserve this important resource to keep their consumption below 20Kl to save money on their water bill. This may result in managing our existing water supplies more efficiently and it may also help to ensure better water supplies to water deficit areas in the city. However, if they fail to do so, the consumers would not only be deprived off the subsidy but would have to cough up much more even if they exceed their water usage by a liter and would come under the bracket of 21 Kl. This will also encourage non-metered consumers to get water meters installed to avail this benefit, thus would encourage better management and auditing of water supply in Delhi.

The ‘Lifeline Water Scheme’ will be a breakthrough for water conservation in Delhi. It would achieve what the previous governments failed to achieve even by spending crores of rupees to create awareness on water saving and water conservation through awareness drives and advertisements. We hope that this scheme will bring in incredible results on water saving through people’s self-governance on water use to avail this scheme. It is difficult to imagine how much water would be saved but the saved water would be lifeline for those who are not getting DJB water at present and can be supplied to water deficit areas.

We therefore sincerely urge you to please don’t discontinue the lifeline water scheme in Delhi in order to guarantee fundamental human rights to water and to ensure water security to the people of Delhi.

Yours’ sincerely,

SA Naqvi                                                                                                                 

Convenor, CFWD

National Coordinator, NPAWP