Regulations to govern Riverfront development
Regulations to govern riverfront development could be in the offing as the environment ministry is setting up an expert group to seek its opinion about it. The ministry’s moves may come in as a key route to regulate how the rivers are managed in the cities.
Now, the rules stipulate only regulation of coastal zone lands under the Environment Protection Act. The same Act can help in formulating other regulations.
In Delhi, the development on the Yamuna’s bank – Akshardham Temple and the Commonwealth Games Village —led to litigation and criticism for eating into the poisoned river’s natural flow. Besides, the poor had to make way for lucrative real estate.
Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh had stated that clearances to both – prior to his tenure – were not something he was in agreement with. In other cities too – and many cities are built around and in the watersheds of key rivers – similar concerns have often attracted criticism. But, at the moment the Union environment ministry has little power to regulate development in a planned manner, and only deals with cases on a project-to-project basis.
Commonwealth Games Village, Delhi NCR, Environment Protection Act, Real estate Delhi, Regulate the rivers, Riverfront development, watersheds of key rivers
