Slums are backlog on DMP housing for the poor, driven to protected or derelict space. NCMP references to social housing and renewal are in line with trends seeking to open up in DMP2021 this space and DMP space meant for the poor. But its promise of no evictions and interpretation by President and PM lend them also to DMP convergent perspective.

In October 2004 housing-rights NGOs have urged for NDA draft national slum policy and environmental NGOs for NDA draft national environment policy that these documents of dubious origin, designed to substitute conflict-resolving and problem-solving law, be adjusted to NCMP. "Regularisation" of inequities and inefficiencies of unplanned development, anyway continuing uninteruppted and unprotested in form of unlawful evictions and unlawful projects, has been extended to conditional promises for industries and colonies - to spawn a highly divisive debate, which misses the point that these promises mean little and what The Great Regularisation Mela seeks to "regularize" is The Great Terrain Robbery and anarchy and atrophy and all else without which loot cannot happen.

Slums are backlog on DMP housing for the poor, driven to protected or derelict space. NCMP references to social housing and renewal are in line with trends seeking to "open up" in DMP2021 this space, besides DMP space meant for the poor. But NCMP promise of no evictions and interpretations by President (of the verdict in terms of restoration of rule of law) and PM (of NCMP goals in terms of equity and efficiency) did lend NCMP to DMP convergent perspective on housing and heritage... but trendy choice in favour of "regularising" inequities and inefficiencies has been made.

In October 2004 housing-rights NGOs have urged for NDA draft national slum policy and environmental NGOs for NDA draft national environment policy that these documents of dubious origin, designed to substitute conflict-resolving and problem-solving law, be adjusted to NCMP. "Regularisation" of inequitable and inefficient unplanned development, anyway continuing uninteruppted and unprotested in form of unlawful evictions and unlawful projects, has been extended to conditional promises for industries and colonies - to spawn a highly divisive debate, which misses the point that these promises mean little and what The Great Regularisation Mela seeks to "regularize" is The Great Terrain Robbery and anarchy and atrophy and all else without which loot cannot happen.

Convergence opportunities ... missed / subverted

2004-05

  • 27.05.2004: News report1 about proposed demolition in Pushta: Letter2 to DDA Commissioner (Planning) to ask him to personally ensure no demolitions till clarifications about legality of demolitions already effected
  • 27.05.2004: Letter to DDA VC from Rangpuri Pahari about tender for flats in the area, to seek options in them for their 50-year old settlements, as per recommendations of Planning Commission report on Delhi slums (2002), with reference also to reports of plans for Sultangarhi ridge area project, stopped by court in 2002, for which their eviction was attempted in 2000
  • 27.05.2004: Letter to CM from Rajiv Gandhi Camp / Arjun Camp, in continuation of two that CMO had forwarded to DDA after demolition in 2003, to reiterate request for interim option pending disposal of court-case of 2002 seeking relocation from park to DMP housing site, encroached by Sahara Restaurant-Bar (CMO wrote DDA VC to consider within a week)
  • 30.05.2004: News report3 of CM finding shortage only of crematoria in illegal sub-standard resettlement in Bawana.
  • 30.05.2004: Attempt to evict Pushta cultivators: Letter4 to Secretary MoUD, reiterating request for clarifications, asking about action on DMP violations and anti-DMP propaganda mentioned in letter forwarded by President on 11.02.04 and about assessment of riverbed encroachment clearance, enclosing a note on overall opportunities and imperatives of NCMP-DMP convergence5.

2004-06

  • 02.06.2004: Request to DDA / MoUD from Lalkhet for "offer" as per NCMP-DMP, with reference to distribution on 31.05.04 of "offer-cum-demand" letters, with a view to evict for malls and biodiversity-park project (challenged in PIL of 2003), for illegal plots to a few in one of 6 camps of about 1000 families in old settlements
  • 06.06.2004: Request for response to correspondence about Pushta in letter6 to DDA Commissioner (Planning) about NCMP-DMP opportunities arising from Supreme Court judgment on industries upholding DMP
  • 07.06.2004: News report7 of foreign jaunts for illegal Games Village on riverbed: Letter8 to Secretary MoUD about illegality of expense, etc.
  • 08.06.2004: Letter9 to DST about its seismicity studies in walled city in view of likely convergence with DMP imperatives and consequent NCMP opportunities for reversing ad-hoc redevelopment trends, enclosing earlier publication oninner city renewal10.
  • 11.06.2004: Letters about awards to DMP violating projects in ridge (Garden of 5 senses) and riverbed (Delhi Government Secretariat) given through President11 (to President to apologize, Council of Architecture to ask for investigation, to Secretary MoUD to ask for assessment of compliance of order of 2003 for riverbed encroachments as per decision to start with Pushta and for compliance of order of 2002 against Sultangarhi scheme in terms of inquiry
  • 13.06.2004: Request from Lalkhet to DDA / MoUD for meeting, in view of activity of touts
  • 16.06.2004: Letter from Rajiv Gandhi Camp / Arjun Camp to DDA VC to request response to CMO letter of 27.05.04 for consideration within a week (on copy, CMO issued reminder)
  • 18.06.2004: Letter from President Secretariat saying communication of 11.06.04 had been forwarded to Secretary MoUD for appropriate action
  • 18.06.2004: News report12 about Urban Development Minister on visit to DDA, desiring planned development of riverbed to be taken up on priority
  • 19.06.2004: News report13 of New Delhi MP "coming to Pushta dwellers' rescue" with camp (at which 350 evictees were found eligible for relocation on second thoughts).
  • 20.06.2004: News report14 of CM visit and assessment of Madanpur Khadar (illegal sub-standard resettlement, challenged in Arjun Camp case).
  • 20.06.2004: News report15 about land allotment by Delhi Government to an environmental NGO in Asola Bhatti sanctuary.
  • 20.06.2004: Letter16 to Secretary MoUD for decided / directed assessments / inquiries against DMP violations in ridge and riverbed and for expediting zonal plans by due process (with copies to MoEF, MoT&C, DST, CGWA, CoA in continuation of previous letters)
  • 26.06.2004: News report17 about LG (DDA Chairman) calling Metro pride-of-Capital after visit, including to Metro Depot on riverbed, despite Public Notice18 for DMP modification to allow it pending disposal21.06.04: Request from Lalkhet to DDA / MoUD, with copy to political representatives / leaders, for legal "offer"
  • 22.06.04: Letter from Nangal to DDA / MoCA to ask for resettlement as per demands since 1972 in view of eviction notice by Airport Authority, on heels of news reports19 of plans of tourism-estate near Airport
  • 25.06.2004: Letter to thank PM for reference to planned development and equity and efficiency in plannerly terms in his address to the nation20.
  • 25.06.2004: News paper interview21 of DDA VC, speaking of camp-approach in slum resettlement, etc.
  • 27.06.2004: Letter22to DDA / MoUD for details / clarifications about camp-approach
  • 27.06.2004: Request for camp from 8 settlements in Nangal
  • 27.06.2004: Request for camp from 6 settlements in Lalkhet
  • 27.06.2004: Demand for camp-on-priority from Rajiv Gandhi Camp / Arjun Camp in view of not having been heard despite (1) drawing attention since 2002 to scamming in resettlement, (2) court order of 2002, (3) at hearing of Public Notice responses in 2003, (4) representation to Standing Parliamentary Committee, (5) four letters from CMO to DDA, etc
  • 27.06.2004: Request for schedule-of-camps from resettlement areas
  • 27.06.04: Request from MPISG convenor (housing) for joint-camp for groups engaging on DMP solutions, also since they were the ones to seek camps for purposes other than just eviction - in course of Pushta clearance, where the camp-approach was "piloted", in requests to authorities and, before elections, to now area MP
  • 27.06.2004: News report23 about committee to prepare "Slum-free Master Plan" in 2 weeks
  • 28.06.2004: Letter24 to request budget provisions for social housing are not diverted to options inferior to statutory solutions
  • 28.06.2004: Letter from Lalkhet in view of verbal "notice" for demolition on 02.07.04 to say demolition would amount to forcible eviction in breach of NCMP (to DDA VC, with copy to Secretary MoUD, SHO, etc)

2004-07

  • 01.07.2004: Police complaint25 against illegal boring, etc, for illegal schemes "requiring" illegal evictions, requesting that police force for demolition be provided only against personal responsibility of officers, with specific mention of Lalkhet
  • 02.07.2004: Urgent fax to PM26 to report imminent breach of NCMP, on suggestion received from PMO after calls to all NCMP-minders about preparations at Vasant Kunj Police Station for Lalkhet demolition (postponed for "administrative" reasons according to the police station staff)
  • 04.07.2004: Joint Suggestion-cum-Demand for DMP housing solution**27 and stopping evictions in the mean time, from citizens groups in 20 ridge area slums with 5000 families on "anniversary" of demolition with which their 4-year long DMP efforts started
  • 05.07.2004: NCMP-DMP Note-528 on DMP solutions for ridge-riverbed and housing, subversive policy of recent years, inertial initiatives, and minimum accountability imperatives in view of NCMP
  • 05.07.2004: Letters accompanying NCMP-DMP note29 (to Commissioner (Planning) DDA to object to Slum-free Master Plan Committee, to DDA VC to draw the committee's attention DMP provisions for slum-freedom, to Secretary MoUD to convert requests about ridge and riverbed to s.41(3) applications for investigation of legality and propriety of decisions, to LG / DDA Chairman to request meeting, with request to all for intervention to prevent demolition in Lalkhet)
  • 06.07.2004: Offer-cum-demand30 for initiative against government encroachment on public land equaling CVC's reported initiative against encroachment on government land (to CVC, with copies to other Commissions, CBI and Parliamentary Committee in continuation of previous letters)
  • 06.07.2004: News report31 of deaths, including of children, in Bawana
  • 07.07.2004: Demand for clarification of legality of resettlement and response to requests for legal relocation options by those facing banishment to Bawana from Lalkhet32 in letter to DDA VC and others
  • 08.07.2004: Demolition without notice in Masudpur Harijan Basti affecting also those evicted in 2003 from Arjun Camp (in whose court case DDA VC has said on affidavit, while conceding that mandatory DMP housing for the poor has not been developed, that the poor can live in urban villages): Letters to report NCMP breach, with pictures of illegal boring and club construction on adjoining site in same DMP park cleared of slum in 2003 and adjoining the village-basti cleared in 2004, etc (The club is bhagidari-choice proposal and out of bhagidari-fund-honorarium has been taken by one flat-owner for basti-clearance)
  • 09.07.2004: Start of Pushta-like camp in Lal Khet and of illegal boring for Malls: Letter, with pictures, to Secretary MoUD and others.
  • 13.07.2004: News report33 about NGO petition to court-appointed Empowered Committee to declare Lal Khet area (excepting 92 Ha for mall, etc) forest
  • 20.07.2004: Letter to CEC34 (with copy to all 7 respondent authorities and LG) to point out existing DMP / CGWA protections, matter being sub-judice in PIL based on efforts of local citizens groups since 2000, etc, and the NGOs being, besides indifferent to violations of existing protections, responsible for getting 92 Ha of the site released from purview of DMP in their earlier PIL
  • 21.07.2004: Letter to LG35 with reference to news report about plans for Sultangarhi, to request compliance of court order of 16.09.02 for inquiry to prevent identical illegalities, information of outcome of Public Notice by which 1700 families objected to it, and directions against Malls/Park (involving identical illegalities), enclosing letter to CEC
  • 23.07.2004: Letter to Secretary MoUD with pictures of three more boring rigs and earthwork machines on Malls site, and picture of willful NDA government riverfront scheme calling for Pushta clearance appearing in a newspaper as UPA scheme for riverfront, etc
  • 26.07.2004: (reported date of CEC hearing of NGO petition) Informal / verbal "notice" given in the evening in Lal Khet for demolition on 29 July : Letter36 enumerating statutory / judicial / parliamentary processes, besides NCMP promise / pledge, that demolition would frustrate
  • 27.07.2004: Open Letter37 about imminent willful dispossession for willful development
  • 27.07.2004: NCMP subversion: MALLS on RIDGE / PARK on POOR38 | The case against unplanned development in general | The case against the unplanned scheme in Lalkhet area | The case against unplanned resettlement | The pursuit of planned development (and indifference thereto)
  • 28.07.2004: After late evening summary demolition of small school near Sultangarhi on 27.07.04, letter to DCP39 (with copy to LG, CEC, CVC, MoUD secy, DDA VC, Police Commissioner), and unsuccessful efforts of children from the school and from Lalkhet to meet "someone" (mail-list post)40
  • 28.07.2004: NCMP subversion: Dispossession on riverbed41: news report about 800 homes having been demolished in Pushta on 27.07.04
  • 29.07.2004: NCMP subversion: Dispossession in ridge42: Lalkhet demolition looked a lot like Pushta demolitions, though people burst briefly the war-bubble with decision to "co-operate" to prevent breach of NCMP promise of forcible eviction - account of "dignified dispossession" oxymoron...
  • 30.07.2004: Letter from President's Secretariat to say communication of 27.07.04 had been forwarded to Secretary MoUD for appropriate action

2004-08

  • 03.08.2004: Letter from President's Secretariat to say communication of 28.07.04 had been forwarded to Secretary MoUD for appropriate action
  • 03.08.2004: News report about plans for Safdarjang Airport area43, as in 2003 (previous post)44
  • 04.08.2004: DDA counsel claimed in High Court that Supreme Court had allowed Malls and boring : Letter to Empowered Committee45 (with copy to Respondents and several others) for hearing and to report start of earthwork on Malls site.
  • 04.08.2004: News report about High Court seeking status report on Pushta clearance46 in 2 weeks: Letter47 for response to s.41(3) applications about ridge and riverbed
  • 06.08.2004: News report48 about Supreme Court appointed committee for the river under Secretary MoUD 
  • 06.08.2004: News report49 about riverbed ground water potential in context of Games Village 
  • 07.08.2004: News report50 about return of team from foreign jaunt for Games Village etc. 
  • 07.08.2004: News report51 about GNCTD-NGO plan for action-plan for river pollution
  • 07.08.2004: News report52 about Supreme Court committee for Red Fort 
  • 09.08.2004: News report53 on views of NGOs that had petitioned CEC, referring to CEC directions, draft report of their experts, etc 
  • 10.08.2004: News report54 about Supreme Court issuing notice in PIL against Akshardham Temple (discussion in mpisgmedia posts55)
  • 10.08.2004: (Imminent) NCMP subversion: Riverbed56: Yamuna riverbed has come suddenly alive in courts (and hence in media, with politics likely to follow). Illegal dispossession for illegal development on it has also lately resumed. The two might be unconnected. Or government might be inertially poised to secure judicial endorsement for more riverbed shenanigans...
  • 11.08.2004: News reports about foreign-jaunt-inspired global plans57 and Akshardham-PIL-inspired trepidation58 about Games Village 
  • 12.08.2004: Request to River Committee59 to consider DMP solutions as a starting point / yardstick for evaluating alternatives and for response on related matters 
  • 13.08.2004: News report60 about study trip to Athens for Games
  • 14.08.2004: News report61 of LG saying if the court orders there is time to shift Games Village site 
  • 15.08.2004: News reports6263 about riverbed plans, referring to zonal plan submitted by DDA to MoUD and quoting LG leaving the decision about Games Village to Supreme Court to make (in Akshardham PIL)
  • 16.08.2004: News report64: DDA hires Home Guards to prevent (slum) encroachment on riverbed 
  • 16.08.2004: Rajya Sabha told of plans for housing the poor through NGOs: PIB Press Release65
  • 17.08.2004: News report66 about LG visit to riverbed Biodiversity Park, saying also that CEC had "cleared" the ridge Biodiversity Park: eml to request clarification from the editor67 
  • 23.08.2004: News report68 about NGOs making making furore about lack of participation, accountability, etc, in clearances to riverbed violations (Akshardham, not Biodiversity Park or Metro Property Development) 
  • 24.08.2004: News report69 about riverbed Biodiversity Park / up-market project 2 km from it (approval in principle to a project for golf course, hotels, shopping arcade, mall, food court, cinemaplex and entertainment centre, etc)
  • 25.08.2004: News report70 about transport plans to improve accessibility to Games village 
  • 25.08.2004: Resumption on work on Sultangarhi ridge project: Letter to Secretary MoUD and LG71 to ask yet again for s.41 directions for stoppage and inquiry in compliance of court order of 2002, etc.
  • 26.08.2004: News report72 of NGO PIL about farmhouse-party-regularisation-policy on grounds other than robust ones available in DMP / DDA Act (objection73 and suggestion74, February 2004) 
  • 26.08.2004: Letter from OSD to National Advisory Council saying letter of 28.07.04 about school and Lalkhet demolitions has been forwarded to PS to Urban Development Minister
  • 26.08.2004: News report: Sheila wants Asian Haat at Safdarjung airport75 
  • 27.08.2004: News report76 about GNCT water sports / adventure tourism plans
  • 27.08.2004: News report77 about DDA presentation to LG and CM of new Master Plan (slum-free, beggar-free, priority for environment / heritage conservation, focus on transport infrastructure, etc) 
  • 27.08.2004: Obfuscation of DMP status of Secretariat by former Commissioner (Planning) in charge of writing DMP200178 in public-letter to Secretary MoUD in defence of architectural Award given through President to it and also to one of his firm's projects by Indian Building Congress (of which Secretary MoUD is patron, present Commissioner (Planning) is Vice-President, etc)

2004-09

  • 01.09.2004: News reports about Group of Ministers for Games79 and Red Fort committee meeting80 
  • 01.09.2004: Letter81 to Secretary MoEF (with copy to respondents in PIL and LG / DDA Chairman) seeking clarification of EIA requirements of ridge area projects covered by MPISG PIL, with reference to amendment of 07.07.04 to EIA notification of 199482
  • 05.09.2004: Promotional news reports about Lalkhet-VasantKunj Malls, Garden of 5 senses, and Safdarjang plans
  • 05.09.2004: News story83 quoting unqualified "experts" to utterly obfuscate DMP levels, etc, to bracket Pushta evictions and Sainik farms demolitions, building violations and DMP allocation distortions, etc. 
  • 06.09.2004: Letter to Secretary MoEF84 seeking clarification about EIA clearance of ridge and riverbed projects, with reference to Draft National Environment Policy85 (up for comment) and to a news report86 about NGO "criticism" (to call for greater participation, etc). 
  • 06.09.2004: Letter from Central vigilance Commission saying MPISG letter of 07.07.2004 (about Bawana deaths, etc) has been forwarded to CVO DDA
  • 11.09.2004: News report87 about housing-rights NGOs reporting against Government of India to a UN Committee 
  • 12.09.2004: News report88 about Outer Delhi MP asking union minister of state for urban development for "helping hand" for resettlement colonies, with legality of resettlement challenged in both High court and Supreme Court and subject also of letter forwarded by CVC. 
  • 14.09.2004: News report89 about problems with design competition for another park 
  • 14.09.2004: News report90: Trade Fair may be shifted to Mehrauli (ridge area) 
  • 15.09.2004: News reports91 about Games (3000 crores, British firm to advise)
  • 15.09.2004: Request for clarification about EIA reiterated in copy to Secretary MoEF of letter92 to Commissioner (Planning) with reference to Delhi government's views of illegality and environment apropos industries, with its own Secretariat non-conforming and its projects challenged in court for DMP and environment law violations.
  • 17.09.2004: News report: NDA land deals: Azad wants no construction till inquiry93 (of a few institutional plots, nothing compared to the Great Terrain Robbery on housing and heritage space) 
  • 17.09.2004: News report: RWAs to get 25 monuments for care94 
  • 18.09.2004: e-mail to response id for comment on draft national environment policy95 to request text in html or doc format for ease in commenting and names of development planning experts involved to be able to discuss concerns about no reference in DNEP to planning and development law and its subversion.
  • 22.09.2004: High Court issued notice to respondents to file reply, and advised petitioner to write to them about further illegalities, in the PIL against DMP violating projects in ridge area, filed and first heard in December 2003, on sixth hearing (delay entirely on basis of Supreme Court PIL based on NGO ideas)
  • 23.09.2004: Letter about illegalities on the sites covered by the PIL96 to Respondents and others 
  • 27.09.2004: Housing-rights NGOs Habitat-Day-demand to adapt to UPA's NCMP NDA's draft national slum policy, recurrently surfacing in the discourse since 1999 despite being obvious attempt to substitute robust development law to disconnect solutions for the poor from integrated solutions for all: | News report97 | UNCHS announcement98 | NGO announcement99 | January statement by professionals100 against the endowment-paradigm content of their WSF-2004-event, included in communication forwarded by President's Secretariat on 11.02.04 

2004-10

  • 04.10.2004: News report101 about national housing rights event participants' solidarity with NGO trying to keep control over children / night shelter space given to them to temporarily run.
  • 04.10.2004: End of 4-day NGO national habitat event: Pictures102
  • 07.10.2004: News report103 about dalit / human / housing rights presence at the housing-rights event
  • 09.10.2004: web-media story104 about "the cause", reducing to anti-eviction plea the right-to-shelter and claiming that "Under the upa government, the demolition drives have stopped" (regardless, besides of all the above, eviction-surveys in Pushta during their event) .
  • 12.10.2004: News report105: Supreme Court refuses stay in Akshardham PIL (on government's plea of it being at advanced stage of construction and there being no land use violation) 
  • 13.10.2004: MPISG groups began filing responses to s.11A Public Notice of 18.09.04 for "regularizing" metro IT Park106 to raise objections to unlawful development (with unlawful evictions / resettlement) especially in ridge-riverbed
  • 14.10.2004: News report107 about night-shelter NGOs not vacating NDMC space 
  • 15.10.2004: News report108 about the housing rights event promoters meeting PM and NAC chairperson to urge, with reference to Pushta evictions, that women's shelter homes not be demolished.
  • 15.10.2004: News report109 about ideas for regularisation of unauthorised colonies15.10.2004: News report110 about co-opting school students into bio-diversity promotion (questions raised in letter of 07.07.07 about Pushta and Lal Khet children evicted to Bawana for biodiversity promotion in bhagidari with other children still waiting answers, despite having been forwarded by three high-offices)
  • 17.10.2004: Environmental NGOs joint-demand to adapt NDA's draft national environment policy to NCMP, rather than to scrap the document of dubious need and basis
  • 18.10.2004: News report111: Games centred "vision" of Delhi-2010 (limited to list of current problems, quoting "experts" that have been airing anti-DMP views for long now speaking of implementation failure without pointing out areas for rectification)
  • 21.10.2004: News reports about plans for Games / Delhi by civic authorities112113 and in corporate bhagidari114
  • 22.10.2004: News report115 about infrastructure, especially water, for Games
  • 22.10.2004: News report116 about plan to bring out Public Notice to start process for regularisation of unauthorised colonies
  • 23.10.2004: News reports117118 about GoM meeting for Games (saying that court's refusal to stay Akshardham cleared doubts about site of Games village) and Biodiversity Parks (saying the ridge Biodiversity Park would be open to public in a year's time)
  • 23.10.2004: Follow-up to s.11A responses119 to Public Notice for metro IT Park be considered doubts about Games Village not cleared by Supreme Court order in yet to be disposed off Akshardhan PIL and standing since the judgment of 2002 in the Sultangarhi PIL etc.
  • 24.10.2004: Letter about continuing illegalities on the sites covered by the PIL120 in continuation of letter of 23.09.04 purusant to the Court issuing notice on 22.09.04 
  • 26.10.2004: News report121122123124125126 about GoM meeting for Games and UDM call for Green NCR
  • 26.10.2004: Comment on draft National Environment Policy127 in attempt to draw attention to the conflict-resolving / problem-solving options available under development law and dangers of policy / discourse that disregards / condones their subversion 
  • 27.10.2004: News report128 about MNCs having "begun vying for space" in Metro IT Park likely to "become operational by the end of the year" 
  • 28.10.2004: News reports129130 about more MoEF funds for Yamuna Action Plan and about more unplanned projects to stress the river (and reiteration of need for NDA’s so-called guidelines for DMP2021 on TV program about regularisation of industries)
  • 29.10.2004: Left demand for whole-hearted regularisation reported131 (industries)
  • 30.10.2004: Decision for whole-hearted regularisation of unauthorized colonies reported132
  • 31.10.2004: News report of property price boom because of Metro, multiplexes and malls, the Commonwealth Games, the entry of NRIs into real estate business and liberalisation in land disposal rules...133 
  • 1. DDA to remove remaining slum clusters in Pushta
    NEW DELHI: DDA has sought permission from a special committee headed by Delhi government's principal secretary (home) to remove religious structures at Yamuna Pushta. The civic agency has cleared most of the slum clusters and offered plots to those eligible for relocation in Holambi Kalan and Bawana. However, two jhuggi clusters — Moolchand ki Basti and Belagaon — are still left. According to DDA, there are about 600 jhuggis in the two clusters and these will be removed soon.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-05-27/delhi/28346885_1_slum-clusters-senior-dda-official-religious-structures (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 2. Proposed demolitions Yamuna Pushta
    Letter to DDA Commissioner (Planning) to personally ensure no demolitions till pending clarifications about legality of demolitions already effected.
    http://architexturez.net/und/pst/4cde3339-1f14-4173-8766-a47c1e15ca10
  • 3. Sheila reviews civic amenities in Bawana slums
    NEW DELHI, MAY 29. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today visited the resettlement colonies in Bawana in North West Delhi and reiterated her Government's commitment and policy to ensure that whenever relocation of slums and "jhuggi jhopris'' (slums tenements) took place, the people being shifted out were not only provided with alternative plots but basic civic infrastructure such as sanitation, health, education, power, transport and water were also made available to them.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/05/30/stories/2004053009540400.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 4. NCMP next-step imperatives vis-à-vis Delhi Master Plan/priority announced for it
    Letter to Secretary MoUD reiterating request for clarifications, asking about action on DMP violations and anti-DMP propaganda mentioned in letter forwarded by President on 11.02.04 and how to be associated as expert on the assessment of riverbed encroachment removal that was decided as part of the decision to start it with Pushta, enclosing a note on overall opportunities and imperatives arising from NCMP-DMP convergence.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/8e711e88-d315-4288-a29a-bcd4ee969ea5
  • 5. NCMP and DMP
    The UPA cabinet has adopted the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) and decided to set up a National Advisory Council for its effective implementation. NCMP starts with saying people have voted for parties wedded to welfare of weaker sections and committed to well-being of the common man and ends with saying that though not a comprehensive agenda it is ‘foundation for … collective maximum performance’.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21836
  • 6. Metro Property Development – additions to s.11A response of 13.05.04; and request to stop all commercial space disposal pending policy for industrial units in it.
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/52405204-e316-4c29-abc4-6dfca203ec49
  • 7. Down Under trip for DDA babus
    HT Correspondent, New Delhi, June 6

    A team of senior bureaucrats of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is going abroad thanks to the Commonwealth Games village planned on the banks of Yamuna.

    DDA vice-chairman Madhukar Gupta and one official each from engineering, planning, architecture and landscape departments are scheduled to fly to Australia next month to study games villages there. Officials said that the vice-chairman and his team will be visiting the Commonwealth Games Village being developed in Melbourne for the 2006 games and the Olympics village in Sydney to study different aspects of the villages and their management.

    The Commonwealth Games village will be single largest project that will be taken up by DDA for the 2010 games to be hosted in the city. Till date only the site — spread over 100 acres next to the Akshardham temple, off Nizamuddin Bridge — has been earmarked. Even the modalities of the design competition are yet to be worked out. An official said that the outgoing Lt. Governor was of the opinion that there should be just an architectural design competition for the modern games village.
  • 8. Foreign trips for Games Village on riverbed
    Letter to Secretary MoUD about illegality of expense, with request for assessment of clearance of riverbed encroachments, action on letter forwarded on 11.02.04 by President, etc, and, in general, compliance of court orders in ways that reinforce, rather than undermine, public confidence in law, courts and commitments of government.

    http://skel.architexturez.net/node/22681
  • 9. Seismicity studies for walled city
    Letter to DST in view of likely convergence with DMP imperatives and consequent NCMP opportunities for reversing ad-hoc redevelopment trends, enclosing earlier publication on inner city renewal.

    http://skel.architexturez.net/node/22657
  • 10. Inner City Renewal: The Indian experience
    This article is based on the author’s work in 1989 for the 53rd International Course on Housing Planning and Building at the Institute for Housing Studies, Rotterdam, which was published as Inner-city Decay and Renewal in India...

    http://skel.architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21806
  • 11. Indian Building Congress Awards, June 2004
    A news item on (only) one newkerala.com announced in first week of June 2004) that President of India is to honour architects of three complexes that Indian Builders Congress selected out of all the buildings constructed in the country last year for its annual awards for excellence, instituted to encourage new talent and innovativeness among architects. Two of the three (Delhi Government Secretariat and Garden of Five Senses) involve illegalities in terms of planning law and the third raises at least questions about professional ethics.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21628
  • 12. Provide better services, Azad tells DDA
    NEW DELHI, JUNE 17. The Union Urban Development Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today visited the corporate office of Delhi Development Authority and stressed the need for increasing accountability in the `corruption-ridden' department and ensuring "single-window clearance'' wherever possible for avoiding inconvenience to the public.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/18/stories/2004061810730400.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 13. Maken to Pushta dwellers' rescue
    YAMUNA PUSHTA: April 29 is a red letter day for 50-year-old Hira Lal. Not only was his jhuggi in Yamuna Pushta's Sanjay Amar Colony razed down that day, his 25-year-old son Jitender was also killed after a wall collapsed on him. "He was trying to collect some of our belongings from our jhuggi when the bulldozer razed it. We rushed him to Shushrut Trauma Centre, but he didn't survive," said Lal.

    http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/745661.cms (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 14. Sheila hauls up DDA for neglecting resettlement colony
    NEW DELHI, JUNE 19. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today hauled up the Delhi Development Authority for not providing electricity to the 15,000 families residing in the Madanpur Khadar resettlement colony even after four years of the colony having been rehabilitated and ordered the authority to release Rs 5.5 crores for the purpose to BSES saying she wants the electrification work completed before Diwali.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/20/stories/2004062008300300.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 15. Deal signed for conservation centre
    NEW DELHI, JUNE 19. The Forest and Wildlife Department of the Delhi Government has entered into an agreement with the Bombay Natural History Society for setting up a Conservation Education Centre at Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in South Delhi.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/20/stories/2004062008230300.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 16. Letter to Secretary, MoUD

    Source: http://skel.architexturez.net/node/21622 (http://www.architexturez.net/doc/040620)
  • 17. L-G says Metro pride of Capital
    Staff Reporter/ New Delhi

    While taking a ride on the Delhi Metro, Lt Governor of Delhi BL Joshi described it as the pride of the city. Mr Joshi on Thursday had a feel of the Metro Rail, the world-class rail transport system in the Capital, travelling from Kashmere Gate to Ritahla.

    Mr Joshi also visited the Metro Operational Control located at the Shastri Park and was happy to express that the project was now being emulated in other cities. The L-G also called upon the staff to maintain the high standard of efficiency with which it was started.The visit was preceded by a presentation on the Metro Project at Raj Niwas in the morning by E Sreedharan, MD of DMRC. MrSreedharan explained to the L-G about the history, background and technical features of the DMRC.

    Later Mr Joshi also reviewed the security arrangements and the working of the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCR) and Automatic Train Protection System (ATPS) which are among the most modern features of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).He also interacted with the staff to gauge the response and feedback of the citizens.
  • 18. Metro Property Development
    Continues to be key determinant in DMP decisions, with inertial disregard of concerns raised by qualified planning professionals and citizens affected in terms of their DMP entitlements through due process of responses to Public Notices, etc.

    http://skel.architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21847
  • 19. Call for creating tourism estate near IGI Airport
    NEW DELHI, JUNE 11. To promote the concept of a one-stop-shop for tourists visiting Delhi and thereby earn precious foreign exchange, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has suggested creation of a tourism estate or zone on a 250-acre plot preferably near Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/12/stories/2004061210890400.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 20. Gratitude for references to planned development in your address to the nation.
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/77679287-cd7c-492e-9cfb-bf25a4216745
  • 21. 'We'll clear entire backlog by 2005'
    Corruption, missed deadlines and stalled projects -- Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the prime land-owning agency of the city, has been in news for all the wrong reasons since the land scam.

    http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/751911.cms (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 22. Camp-approach
    Letter to dda / moud for details / clarifications about proposed camp-approach in resettlement, mentioned in newspaper interview by dda vice chairman.
    http://architexturez.net/node/22665
  • 23. Panel constituted to prepare slum-free Master Plan
    NEW DELHI, JUNE 26. The Union Government has constituted a seven-member committee to prepare a comprehensive Master Plan to make the Capital slum-free in the next five years. The Committee, which will submit its report within two weeks, will prepare the Master Plan that will include a road map and modalities for relocation and rehabilitation of slum-dwellers in terms of existing policy of the Delhi Government.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/27/stories/2004062708660400.htm (Retrieved 3rd December, 2012)
  • 24. Request to ensure no wasteful budged provision for ‘social housing’ in contravention of DMP
    Letter, in view of news reports about constitution of committee to prepare "slum-free master plan" in two weeks, to request budget provisions for social housing are not diverted to options inferior to statutory solutions.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/12c56f46-4b3f-4594-a677-2237355335db
  • 25. Illegal constructions / demolitions with ground water / earthquake implications
    Police complaint about illegal boring, etc, for illegal schemes “requiring” illegal evictions, requesting that police force for demolition be provided only against personal responsibility for legality by concerned officers.
    http://architexturez.net/node/22666
  • 26. Imminent slum demolition in violation of National Common Minimum Program and Delhi Master Plan / DD Act, 1957
    Urgent fax to pm to report imminent breach of ncmp, on suggestion received from PMO after calls to all official NCMP minders, with reference to preparations for Lalkhet demolition at Vasant Kunj Police Station.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/60a934a8-60fe-47b1-8838-fad7ef986fc8
  • 27. Open letter to supporters of UPA National Common Minimum Programme and Delhi Master Plan
    For DMP housing solution for 20 ridge area "slums" and for stopping evictions pending action on court orders and responses to public notices based on efforts since 2000 in view of NCMP promises and Pushta-like "voluntary eviction" in Lalkhet following verbal "notice" for demolition.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21758
  • 28. DMP solutions for housing for the poor, ridge and riverbed
    The poor in Delhi live in slums because land meant for their housing has been denied to them. Slums are often on protected city space (environmentally critical or heritage resource areas, un-minded for not being developable). When opportunities arise for opening-up this space for profit (as around revisions of city plans), ‘conflict between slums and cosmetic notions of conservation / renewal also surfaces.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21810
  • 29. Objection to MoUD committee for slums/NCMP-DMP imperatives for housing for the poor, ridge and riverbed and intervention for stopping imminent demolition.
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/38c34dec-0a0a-4d0a-9306-cf3f8d3062b7
  • 30. ’Encroachments’- by citizens on ‘government land’ and by government on public land
    Offer-cum-demand for initiative against government encroachment on public land equaling cvc initiative against encroachment on "government land", reported in a newspaper, in letter to cvc with copies to other commissions, cbi and parliamentary committee in continuation of previous letters.

    http://skel.architexturez.net/node/22674
  • 31. Unsettled life in Bawana resettlement colony
    NEW DELHI, JULY 5 . As many as 17 people, including 12 children, have died here in the Bawana resettlement colony -- where people from the Yamuna Pushta area were recently relocated -- in a matter of three months, reportedly due to waterborne diseases and unhygienic living conditions.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/06/stories/2004070609450400.htm (Retrieved 4th December, 2012)
  • 32. Request for immediate discussion on Lal Khet resettlement
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/c9934262-f3c4-4c49-b733-9129df354008
  • 33. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/archivefullstory.php?newsid=91154&creation_date=2004-07-13
  • 34. Unplanned developments in ridge/ridge periphery in Mehrauli-Mahipalpur area
    MPISG letter to Central Empowered Committee constituted by supreme court, with reference to news reports about ngos petitioning it for declaring Lal Khet area ridge, to draw attention to available statutory protections, PIL being heard by High Court, etc.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/1653a372-4d4e-4e96-b995-36e0c3369671
  • 35. Letter for court-ordered inquiry
    MPISG letter to g, with reference to news report about plans for Sultangarhi scheme, to request compliance of court order of 16.09.02 for inquiry, information of outcome of Public Notice by which 1700 families responded to object and directions against Malls/Park scheme, enclosing letter to CEC.
    http://architexturez.net/node/22664
  • 36. Demolition ‘notice’ in Lal Khet
    'Most urgent' letter enumerating statutory and judicial and parliamentary processes besides ncmp promise and pledge that the proposed demolition would frustrate.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/29e6f3d4-bfa4-4229-94b6-afbd9422eb1c
  • 37. Imminent demolition in Lal Khet on 29.07.04/NCMP subversion
    In protest of imminent willful dispossession for willful development, sent to President, Prime Minister, NAC Chairperson, urban development minister, Left party officies, DDA VC, Police Commissioner, etc.

    http://skel.architexturez.net/node/22663
  • 38. NCMP subversion: Capital Case: Mall on Ridge, Park on Poor
    On Delhi's southern fringe, near apex of its ridge-river triangle, a thousand families amidst disused quarries they have worked for decades face choice between eviction and illegal Bawana in northern fringe, where those lately banished from riverbed are dying – to make way for unplanned ridge park usurping planned residential land and being used to sell-well unplanned malls. Based on efforts of four years against willful dispossession for willful schemes, citizens in 20 ridge area 'slums' with 5000 families have demanded the statutory solution due to them – now as proof of commitment to NCMP. Their case.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21759
  • 39. Demolition of Modern Public School in Rangpuri Pahari on 27.07.04/WP 4978/2002, WP 8954-9/2003 and Demolition proposed in Lal Khet on 29.07.04/WP 4978/2002, WP 8523/2003
    MPISG complaint to DCP (SW) and others about demolition of school on evening of 27.07.04 and proposed demolition in Lal Khet on 29.07.04.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/2739144c-5c1f-4a7a-a2a1-d9e2c4b6a017
  • 40. Ridge shenanigans.
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/1046
  • 41. DDA conducts demolition drive at Yamuna Pushta
    YAMUNA PUSHTA: DDA on Tuesday conducted a massive demolition drive to clear shanties at Yamuna Pushta. The slum dwellers had returned after the entire area had been cleaned for developing the river bank area.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-07-28/delhi/27145156_1_demolition-drive-yamuna-pushta-dda (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 42. NCMP subversion: Capital Case: Dispossession in Lal Khet (Ridge)
    Six clusters housing thousand families tucked away in forest in Lal Khet, quarried since '70s, meant since 1990 to be Vasant Kunj Phase-2 and lately designated 'biodiversity park', were demolished on 29 July 2004. The demolition looked a lot like Pushta demolitions of earlier this year, but the war-bubble was burst by people who decided the previous night to 'co-operate' to prevent forcible eviction – a volte-face from decision to protest, precipitated by startling demolition without notice of a school elsewhere in the area on evening of 27 July.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21764
  • 43. Tussle over Safdarjung airport hots up again
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might have taken a flight from here to Bangkok, but Safdarjung airport may give way to a grand greening plan together with the Metro coming in from Jor Bagh.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-08-03/delhi/27161314_1_safdarjung-airport-delhi-flying-club-allotment (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 44. Safdarjang Airport Area Development
    Suggestion made, in extension of two Public Notice responses and in context of “civil-society” proposals and unsuccessful attempts at official clarifications about these, vide letter of 15.11.2003  and placed in public domain on a dedicated mail-list in December 2003 
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21745
  • 45. Unplanned developments in ridge/ ridge periphery in Mehrauli-Mahipalpur area: Request for hearing and for details of NGO application to CEC
    (With copy to several others) with reference to DDA counsel claiming in High Court that Supreme Court had cleared the Malls project including illegal boring, to report start of work on the Malls site and request hearing, etc.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/028003c6-b100-4adc-b4d9-79bfaef9bbe6
  • 46. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=94057
  • 47. Riverbed encroachments- affidavit in two weeks ordered by Hon’ble High Court: Requests re Pushta clearance assessment, Metro property development etc.
    For response to s.41(3) applications about ridge and riverbed, with reference to news report about high court seeking status report on Pushta clearance and DDA counsel claiming to it that supreme court had cleared the Malls project.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/a9371800-b03b-4a6e-9d71-9286d701a9eb
  • 48. SC sets up experts' panel on Yamuna
    NEW DELHI: Finding no improvement in its decade-long efforts to clean the water of the Yamuna river, the SC on Wednesday set up a 10-member expert committee to chalk out an action plan and suggest measures within six weeks to cleanse the contaminated river.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-08-06/delhi/27164972_1_river-water-yamuna-river-sc-sets (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 49. Delhiites can bank on groundwater
    Saurabh Sinha, New Delhi, August 6

    Groundwater is fast becoming the only hope for the city. The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has identified two places on the Yamuna river bed near Kalindi Kunj and Akshardham temple -- where tubewells can be installed to yield as much as 30 million gallons daily (MGD).

    This will be in addition to the 30 MGD the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) already draws from about 100 tubewells in the Palla area of the riverbed. In all, about 300 MGD will be drawn to bridge the gap between the city's demand of 830 MGD and actual supply (after 20 per cent leakage) of about 500 MGD.

    "This new source could even become the feeder for the Commonwealth village being built on the flood plain. If we are assured of constant flow of raw water, a small treatment plant can be built to supply safe water to the village," said a senior official.

    But there is a catch. The level of ammonia in groundwater around the flood plain has shot up in the past few years because of the rampant use of fertilisers and pesticides in farming on this rich land. "We will do a joint survey of the groundwater along the river with CGWB to see if the sub-soil reserves here are usable. In the recent past, samples of water lifted from near the DND flyover have shown high level of ammonia," said the official.
  • 50. DDA team returns from Australia tour
    NEW DELHI, AUG. 6. A four-member delegation of the Delhi Development Authority led by the vice-chairman, Madhukar Gupta, made a quiet return to the Capital after a 10-day visit to Australia during which the members witnessed the preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2006 due to be held in Melbourne for finalising how Delhi will prepare for the following edition in 2010.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/07/stories/2004080711170400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 51. Yamuna to be freed from polluted water
    By Pramod Kumar

    New Delhi, Aug. 6: The filthy Yamuna will now be spared from the "treated effluent water" also. The government is considering to divert the treated effluent water to major thermal power stations in New Delhi to cool the plant. Besides, all sewage treatment plants and common effluent treatment plants have also been asked for optimum utilisation of their facilities in the capital. The Centre for Science and Environment has been asked by the Delhi government to prepare comprehensive "action plan" in this regard.

    The Delhi chief secretary S. Regunathan called a meeting of senior officials of all concerned departments on Friday and discussed the matter at length. The meeting was attended by representatives of the CSE also.

    The chief secretary also instructed all concerned departments to ensure optimum utilisation of sewage treatment plants and sewage effluent treatment plants in the capital. According to sources, the government is also considering to stop the discharge of effluents from six major drains in the capital.

    The Yamuna enters Delhi at Palla village 15 km upstream of Wazirabad barrage, which acts as a reservoir for Delhi. Delhi generates 1,900 million litre per day (mld) of sewage, against an installed waste water treatment capacity of 1,270 mld. Thus, 630 mld of untreated and a significant amount of partially treated sewage enters the river every day. Sources informed the Wazirabad barrage lets out very little water into the river. In summer months especially, the only flow downstream of Wazirabad is of industrial and sewage effluents. Lesser discharge means lesser river flow and thus greater levels of pollution. From the Okhla barrage, which is the exit point for the river in Delhi, the Agra canal branches out from Yamuna.

    During the dry months, almost no water is released from this barrage to downstream Yamuna. Instead, discharges from the Shahadara drain join the river downstream of the barrage, bringing effluents from East Delhi and Noida into the river. This is the second largest polluter of the river after the Najafgarh drain.

    Experts believe that the main problem lies in undetected and untreated pesticide residues. Waterworks officials in Delhi and Agra point out that pesticide traces cannot be removed with conventional treatment.

    The river has a dilution requirement of 75 per cent, which implies that for every 100 litres of waste water, 75 litres of freshwater is required. Scientists state that with the flow of water, pollutants (especially organic pollutants) degrade to a large extent. But at every step, this purified water is abstracted, and larger loads of pollution make their way into the river.
  • 52. Supreme Court sets up panel for Red Fort renovation
    NEW DELHI, AUG. 6. The Supreme Court today constituted a nine-member expert committee headed by the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to oversee the conservation and restoration work at the historic Red Fort in the Capital.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/07/stories/2004080711200400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 53. 'Ridge area needs protection'
    NEW DELHI, AUG. 8. Members of the Citizens for the Preservation of Quarries and Lakes Wilderness (CPQLW), responding to the Government's stand that the essential part of Delhi's natural heritage in the South Central Ridge bounded clockwise by JNU, the Mehrauli Mahipalpur road, National Highway 8, Palam Road and Vasant Vihar does not qualify the criteria of being a protected area, have maintained that the area was sensitive and needed legal protection.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/09/stories/2004080908660400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 54. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=94852
  • 55. [mpisgmedia] construction on yamuna riverbed
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/1049
  • 56. Willful dispossession for wilful development on Yamuna riverbed
    Yamuna riverbed has come suddenly alive in courts (and hence in media, with politics likely to follow). Illegal dispossession for illegal development on it has also lately resumed. The two might be unconnected. Or government might be inertially poised to secure judicial endorsement for more riverbed shenanigans.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21748
  • 57. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=95028
  • 58. Temple shadow on Games Village
    Amitabh Shukla, New Delhi, August 11

    The Supreme Court notice over the Akshardham temple has cast a shadow on the Commonwealth Games village. Senior government officials fear that the village, proposed to be constructed in the Yamuna bank, may have to be shifted to another location.

    With the SC issuing notices on a petition alleging that the construction of the temple was illegal, the government is now worried about the prospects of the Games village.

    The Games village is closer to the Yamuna bank than the temple. "If the court has taken note of the construction of temple, the Games village cannot escape its attention for long," a senior official said.

    Environmentalists have been demanding a blanket ban on any construction in the riverbed. According to the proposed plan, an 118-acre land on the Yamuna bank is to be developed as the Games village, at a cost of $40 million. The site was chosen due to its location and connectivity to stadiums and venues.

    Finance, Planning and PWD minister A.K. Walia said the government would consult the DDA and other agencies about the latest development. "It is too early to say there is a proposal for a review of the Games Village," Walia said. For the government, hosting the Games is a matter of prestige and schemes like construction of new roads and flyovers etc. is directed towards providing better connectivity to the venues from the village.

    Sources said meetings have been planned in the next few days to chalk out a strategy.

    However, there is no co-ordinated effort between the various agencies for creating facilities for the Games. Walia said CM Sheila Dikshit has written to the urban development ministry and the Commonwealth Games Committee for co-ordinated efforts on the construction of facilities for the Games.
  • 59. Court appointed committe for river
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/557
  • 60. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=95303
  • 61. Uncertainty over Games village site
    HT Correspondent, New Delhi, August 14

    Delhi Lt-Governor and DDA chairman B.L. Joshi on Friday said there was enough time to relocate the Commonwealth Village from its present site on the Yamuna bank, if the Supreme Court so ordered.

    "The groundwork has not started yet. If SC orders to shift the venue of the village we will do so,” Joshi said, answering queries about the recent Supreme Court order on alleged irregularities in the construction of the Akshardham temple.

    The petitioners had accused the DDA of allocating land belonging to the UP irrigation department. The petition also said the construction was on a larger scale than what had been permitted.

    Joshi said the DDA has been asked to submit a report in this regard. “The Supreme Court order has come and we are looking into it. I have asked the DDA to inform me about the details of the project,” he added.

    With regard to DDA, the L-G said he had asked the authority to introduce a complaint management system to monitor complaints and ensure that speedy action is taken. "I have told them to computerise the system so that one can monitor the complaints. DDA has also been asked to collect information about all complaints,” Joshi said.
  • 62. Yamuna needs a riverfront, not bluster
    Aruna P Sharma, New Delhi, August 15

    No stone was left unturned to get the necessary clearance for the construction of Akshardham Temple. The green signal from the Central Water Commission and the approval for change of land use for 45 hectares (110 acres) from the Ministry of Urban Development was granted within months in 1999.

    However, the long-term plan prepared by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to develop the whole riverfront has been gathering dust in the Ministry of Urban Development since 2002. This, despite the fact that citizens are starved of good green public spaces. Right now, there are just a few options like India Gate and the zoo.

    The architect who designed Shanti Van, M M Rana, currently Dean of Sushant School of Art and Architecture, says the river has been converted into a backyard of the city. "The river should be revived and the river banks should be developed into parks, recreational areas and nurseries," says Rana suggesting a structure like the Ferris wheel on the River Thames that gives a panoramic view of the whole city. One can even have a river highway so that all people passing through the city can view the river, he adds.

    The river front development plan was prepared in 2002. As per this plan, the river front was to be developed into a recreational space with promenades, parks, golf course, race course, nature trails, cycle tracks and so on. In short the 60 square kilometres of space on either side of the river from Wazirabad to Okhla (identified as O zone in the Master Plan) and 37 square kilometres of landupstream of Wzirabad could well become the chill out zone of the Capital, if this plan is put on the fast track.

    According to a senior DA official, the river front development plan was drawn up on the basis of the recommendations made by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur.

    The report had divided the riverbed into three zones. Areas prone to flooding every 25 years or less are to be maintained as pondage area with water bodies to recharge ground water. Areas prone to flooding every 50 years can have recreational facilities while areas completely safe can have public and semi-public utilities like food courts, plazas and so on.

    Recently, the river front development plan received a boost with Vice Chairman Madhukar Gupta and planning officials of DDA making a presentation before Lt. Governor B L Joshi. Delhi just might get its own riverfront chill out zone complete with open-air restaurants and promenades.
  • 63. Riverside dream hinges on the Supreme Court
    HT Correspondent, New Delhi, August 15

    Lieutenant-Governor B L Joshi wants the Yamuna river banks to be developed as a site for soft tourism where one can spend a few hours in peace away from city's hectic schedule. Joshi says that Yamuna can be developed into a picnic site only if the river is cleaned and there is a vast span of green area. The Delhi Development Authority, which is headed by Joshi, is developing the river bed.

    The L-G said that the jhuggi clusters on the river bed have to be relocated adding that most of the jhuggies have been removed.

    When asked about the future of Commonwealth Village, Joshi said they will abide by the Apex Court orders.

    "We have enough time and the site of Commonwealth village can be shifted as the court desires. We can then look at some other options," he said. No ground work has started so far at the Commonwealth village site next to Akshardham Village site.

    Many of the plans may alter in view of the recent Supreme Court order on Akshardham. “We are examining the Supreme Court order,” Joshi said.
  • 64. Encroachers galore, DDA calls home guards to rescue
    NEW DELHI: Finding it difficult to watch its property and keep encroachers at bay, the DDA has asked Home Guards to do the job. In order to prevent slum settlements at Yamuna Pushta and to start the re-development of the area, DDA has hired Home Guards for two months.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-08-15/delhi/27148532_1_home-guards-dda-slum-dwellers (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 65. source: http://www.pib.nic.in/hrelease/h-release.asp?relid=1331
  • 66. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=95747
  • 67. Express Newsline report referring to Aravalli Biodiversity Park
    http:/www.architexturez.net/node/1069
  • 68. Furore over riverbed reclamation move
    NEW DELHI, AUG. 22. Concerned about the health of the Yamuna, environmentalists are up in arms over the permission granted to the Delhi Development Authority for "reclamation'' of certain parts of the riverbed - which supposedly includes the area chalked out for the fast upcoming Akshardham Temple -- by the Yamuna Standing Committee.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/23/stories/2004082308500400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 69. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=96633
  • 70. Move to make Games village accessible
    Hindustan Times, 25.08.2004
    Chetan Chauhan, New Delhi, August 25

    In what would be a relief to motorists, a proposal has been floated to make the stretch from Metcalfe Road to Ashram, and from Connaught Place to Laxmi Nagar and Mayur Vihar signal-free.

    The Delhi government has asked the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) to conduct a study and submit a report within four months.

    Making the zone signal-free is part of the preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. ITPO officials said the basic idea behind the study was to make Connaught Place, Pragati Maidan and Commonwealth Games Village easily accessible from various parts of the city.

    Urban development minister A.K. Walia said the ITPO has been asked to reconsider plans for the construction of a flyover on D.D. Upadhayay Marg outside police headquarters, two clover leaves on Ring Road at ITO, an underpass each at Bhairon Marg-Ring Road T junction and at Bhairon Marg and Mathura Road junction. The plan will also include widening the Ring Road between Ashram and Metcalfe House.

    Meanwhile, the DDA is conducting a study to ensure free traffic movement at Nehru Place. The study will cover roads like Nelson Mandela Marg and Vivekanand Marg.
  • 71. Resumption of work on mega-housing in 56 Ha Sultangarhi project – Request for meeting and for s.41 directions for inquiry as per order of 16.09.02 in WP 4978/2002
    Letter to secretary MoUD and LG / DDA Chairman to ask yet again for directions for stoppage and inquiry in compliance of court order of 2002 against the illegal ridge area project.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/cf71acd3-2d97-499e-9096-0405aefbc7fd
  • 72. 'MCD farmhouse policy on paper'
    NEW DELHI: Few months after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) claimed it had framed a policy to regulate weddings at farmhouses, the issue was once again raised in the Delhi high court on Wednesday.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-08-26/delhi/27149642_1_farmhouse-owners-mcd-officials-weddings (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 73. Farmhouse party policy/equal policy against slum demolitions
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/962
  • 74. No demolition till exams “we’ll pay the ‘fee’”
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/965
  • 75. Sheila wants Asian Haat at Safdarjung airport
    NEW DELHI: If chief minister Sheila Dikshit has her way, crafts of different hues from Pakistan would soon land at the nearly-defunct Safdarjung Airport, which is barely 4 km away from Prime Minister's residence.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-08-27/delhi/27164204_1_safdarjung-airport-sheila-dikshit-dilli-haat (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 76. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=97062
  • 77. Master plan for Delhi
    Hindustan Times, 27.08.2004

    HT Correspondent, New Delhi, August 27

    The new master plan under preparation will aim at making Delhi a beggar-free and slum-free city. It emphasises on development with a human touch where the unorganised sector, elderly, children and disabled will also get facilities.

    A presentation on the conceptual approach of the new master plan was made before Lt.-Governor B.L. Joshi and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit by DDA officials.

    According to the plan, the unorganised sector including domestic servants, will be given facilities. They will also be able to avail of co-operative and collective community rehabilitation programmes.

    The new approach is in tandem with the UPA government’s directive of development with a humanface. Environmental considerations and heritage conservation have been given priority in the plan.

    This would mean that permission will be granted only to particular categories of industries and for certain types of fuel. Importance will be laid on tackling water and noise pollution.

    On the traffic and transportation front, DDA has emphasised on restructuring of the Mass Rapid Transportation System (MRTS) so that maximum number of people are encouraged to use it, rather than buses and private cars. Bicycle users and pedestrians will also get their due. Parking space will be given special emphasis.

    The development agency has also decided to integrate infrastructure with development. This means that water availability will have to be ensured for all development projects.
  • 78. Indian Building Congress Awards, June 2004, Op. cit.
  • 79. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=97696
  • 80. Maiden meeting of Red Fort panel
    NEW DELHI, AUG. 31. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took its first step towards "saving" the Red Fort with the expert committee recently constituted by the Supreme Court meeting for the first time here today. While it was just an introductory meeting, it did set the ball rolling believe officials and members.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/01/stories/2004090116000300.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 81. Environmental clearance for Mehrauli-Mahipalpur area projects, subject of PIL in Delhi High Court
    Letter of 01.09.04 to Secretary MoEF (with copy to respondents in PIL and LG / DDA Chairman) seeking clarification for projects covered by the MPISG PIL, with reference to amendment of July 2004 to the EIA notification.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/a07829f4-1c89-46d1-9097-2c5480b19be4
  • 82. Ministry of Environment and Forests
    Notification, New Delhi, the 7th July, 2004

    http://envfor.nic.in/legis/eia/so801(e).htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 83. Re:[in-enaction] scan: Gen X Rears his Head…
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/2506
  • 84. EIA of “popular” illegal projects in Delhi ridge…
    letter of 06.09.04 to secretary MoEF seeking clarification about EIA clearance of ridge and riverbed area projects, with reference to Draft National Environment Policy (up for comment) and to reported NGO "criticism".
    http://architexturez.net/pst/13a90d2c-4086-4e7f-9925-e6d3415aa782
  • 85. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT POLICY 2004
    http://envfor.nic.in/nep.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 86. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=98136
  • 87. Centre ticked off over lack of housing for the deprived
    NEW DELHI, SEPT. 10. Drawing the attention of the Central Government to grave living conditions and housing rights violations across the country, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) in association with the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has brought out a report titled "Acts of Commission, Acts of Omission: Housing and Land Rights and the Indian State" in which it argues that the State cannot escape its obligation to respect and protect the right of its people to adequate housing and it is high time international pressure was put on India to do so.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/11/stories/2004091104160400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 88. Help sought for resettlement colonies
    NEW DELHI, SEPT. 11. The Outer Delhi Member of Parliament, Sajjan Kumar, has urged the Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Kumari Selja, to lend a helping hand to for raising infrastructure and providing financial help in the resettlement colonies that have come in various parts of the Capital in the recent past.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/12/stories/2004091206180400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 89. SPA: Bias charge on jury for botanical garden
    The results of the international architecture competition held for the environment ministry's botanical garden project in Noida have sparked off a controversy following charges of alleged favouritism.

    http://www.architexturez.net/node/2524
  • 90. Trade Fair may be shifted to Mehrauli
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi government seems determined to shift the India International Trade Fair (IITF) from Pragati Maidan. The government has identified land in Mehrauli which can be developed for the purpose.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-09-14/delhi/27165455_1_itpo-official-pragati-maidan-india-international-trade-fair (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 91. SPA: Bias charge on jury for botanical garden, Op. cit.
  • 92. Centre ticked off over lack of housing for the deprived
    NEW DELHI, SEPT. 10. Drawing the attention of the Central Government to grave living conditions and housing rights violations across the country, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) in association with the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has brought out a report titled "Acts of Commission, Acts of Omission: Housing and Land Rights and the Indian State" in which it argues that the State cannot escape its obligation to respect and protect the right of its people to adequate housing and it is high time international pressure was put on India to do so.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/11/stories/2004091104160400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 93. NDA land deals: Azad wants no construction till inquiry
    Hindustan Times, 2004

    Hemendra Singh Bartwal, New Delhi, September 17

    A day after ordering an inquiry into allotments of subsidised land to various organisations during the NDA regime, Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday asked Delhi Lieutenant Governor B.L. Joshi to ensure that no construction was carried out on the plots in question till the report is submitted in two months.

    Fearing that some of the allottees may try to hastily construct buildings on their plots, Azad made a written request to the L-G to direct the DDA and MCD not to sanction any building plans on these plots. He also urged Joshi to ensure that no construction was allowed on the institutional plots in Rouse Avenue and Pushp Vihar on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road without valid sanction plans. According to sources, many such plots allotted to different organisations during the previous government's tenure were located in the institutional area in these two localities.

    Among the allottees are a number of bodies affiliated to the RSS and some with links to local BJP leaders. For instance, an official pointed out, former MoS in the PMO Vijay Goel was directly associated with the Vaish Aggarwal Education Society and Toy Bank while his family members were linked to the Agroha Vikas Trust.
  • 94. RWAs to get 25 monuments for care
    Hindustan Times, 17.09.2004

    Amitabh Shukla, New Delhi, September 17

    The Delhi government has decided to involve resident welfare associations (RWAs) in maintaining historical monuments across Delhi.

    The government plans to give an annual grant of Rs 1 lakh to select RWAs for maintaining archaeologically significant monuments in their locality. The office-bearers of RWAs will have to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government.

    "We will invite applications from RWAs for maintaining 25 monuments, which were selected and renovated by the government recently," said Nita Bali, secretary, art and culture, Delhi government.

    RWAs can protect these monuments from vandalism and improve the landscape. The Lodhi period mosque inside Sadhna Enclave can be better protected by the RWA than government officials said Bali.

    "The art and culture department will supervise the RWAs, who after consulting the government can handle beautification and involve private parties in providing snack joints and souvenir shops," Bali said.

    Department officials described the plan as empowering citizens and inculcating a sense of heritage among them. "Public involvement in protecting heritage is limited; and we want to promote a sense of pride amongst citizens for the monuments near their home," said Bali.
  • 95. Request for DNSP text in html or doc format etc.
    http://www.architexturez.net/node/860
  • 96. Letter about illegalities wrt notice in PIL, 23.09.04.
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/6e4d1006-13b8-4602-b89f-3e96ac5128a9
  • 97. Slum dwellers rally for a fair deal
    NEW DELHI, SEPT. 26. Slum and pavement dwellers and homeless persons from across the country would converge in New Delhi on October 1 demanding workable solutions to their miseries from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in accordance with the Common Minimum Programme.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/27/stories/2004092707990400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 98. source: http://www.unchs.org/whd/2004/asia.asp
  • 99. source: http://www.nfhr.com/activities/whd2004/ihcampaign.htm
  • 100. source: https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?.intl=us&.src=ygrp&.done=http%3a//groups.yahoo.com%2Fgroup%2Fmpisgmedia%2Fmessage%2F25
  • 101. source: http://www.nfhr.com/activities/whd2004/ihcampaign.htm
  • 102. source: http://plan.architexturez.org/site/FILES/images/041004
  • 103. source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=102459
  • 104. THE CAUSE: RIGHT TO SHELTER
    Faces of Exile
    For thousands of Indians in slums, the bulldozers of the Emergency are still around. Ann Ninanreports

    http://www.tehelka.com/story_main7.asp?filename=Cr100904right_to_shelter.asp&id=1 (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 105. Akshardham temple to adorn river Yamuna bed
    NEW DELHI: Some legal hurdles in the completion of a multi-crore majestic Akshardam temple on a sprawling 58 acres of river Yamuna bed in the east of Capital were cleared with the Supreme Court's refusal to stay its construction as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) also said on Monday that there was nothing illegal in the project.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-11/delhi/27168654_1_akshardham-temple-river-bank-dda (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 106. Metro Property Development, Op. cit.
  • 107. NDMC, NGOs at loggerheads over Palika hostel nightshelter
    NEW DELHI: For the 40-odd children who take refuge in the nightshelter being run from the Palika Hostel, the events on Tuesday morning were a cold reminder that they could be on the streets anytime. An NDMC team had arrived while they were preparing for their morning classes, and went on to evict them. Blankets, books, a TV and utensils — the kids huddled around the meagre material belongings that gave the shelter the semblance of a home.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-13/delhi/27167866_1_ndmc-officials-ndmc-act-palika-hostel (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 108. Delegation meets PM
    NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. A group of social activists belonging to the Human Rights Law Network, the Nivara Hakk Welfare Centre and other non-government organisations today met the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, demanding that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government ensure that the urban poor were not forcibly evicted and that adequate housing arrangements were made for them near the place of occupation and livelihood.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/15/stories/2004101510140300.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 109. A U-turn over unauthorised colonies
    NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. In a sudden U-turn over its stand of not accepting anything short of the 1976-77 India Gandhi policy for regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the Capital, the Sheila Dikshit Government in Delhi and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre are now preparing the ground for levy of "penal and development'' charges on lakhs of residents of such colonies in the Capital.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/15/stories/2004101518050300.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 110. School students help to promote biodiversity
    Asian Age, 15.10.2004, By Our Correspondent

    New Delhi, Oct. 14: School children in the city are alarmed at the increasing rate of extinction of various plant and animal species due to population explosion and destruction of nature by humankind. Extending a helping hand to promote and conserve biological diversity, the school students felt that children and young people can play an important role in achieving it.

    These students of public schools have voiced this opinion in a four-page newspaper The Yamuna, which is published by the slum children of East Delhi and the latest issue dedicates to the World Food Day to be organised on Saturday.

    The first of its kind, a special issue of the paper was released at Gandhi Smiriti on Thursday at a FAO-GSDS Inter-school essay cum elocution competition, a joint programme of Gandhi Smiriti and Darshan Smiriti and Food and Agriculture organisation of the United Nation. The prestigious Fight Against Hunger trophy was won by students of Happy School, Daryaganj.

    Emphasising that biodiversity contributes to the achievement of sustainable livelihood for people, Bhavna Jain and Nishit Sood said that children and young people need to initiate creative responses to biodiversity conservation.

    Bhavna of St. Mary’s School opined, “Authorities should establish biodiversity museums so that school students can go and learn examples of perfect balance and harmony between nature and human beings.”

    “Promoting opportunities for children to experience nature at first-hand on the way to school, the promotion of an awareness of nature in children’s everyday lives, an interest in plants and animals and tolerance for native species, should be encouraged by schools and governments,” she added.

    Nishit Sood of Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, suggested that stories on biodiversity, nature, cartoon-strip making, elocution and debating competitions, and painting competitions can help make people aware of the approaching threat of food scarcity.

    Dr Daniel Gustafson, an FAO representative in India and Bhutan to promote the issue of biodiversity conservation for food security, said, “FAO has started a series of cartoon booklets and teacher guides on agricultural practices, biodiversity and environmental education to teach the secondary school students the link between environment and agro-pastoral practices used by farming families and communities.”

    “I want to become an environmentalist so that I can serve the society and ensure food security of those who are hungry with the help of my advanced education and training,” added Apoorva Sharma of Class 11, St. Columbus School.
  • 111. A new profile for Delhi by 2010
    NEW DELHI: The millennium city is gearing up to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Malls, shopping centres, Metro whizzing across ... on the face of it, Delhi seems to have arrived. But scratch the surface a little and the true picture of Delhi emerges — a polluted Yamuna, unauthorised colonies, a city bursting at its seams with slums, industries rubbing shoulders with homes, bad roads, traffic woes...the list is endless.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-18/delhi/27169614_1_master-plan-mpd-urban-planning (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 112. Delhi eyes Games gains
    (Hindustan Times), Amitabh Shukla, New Delhi, October 21

    Delhi is likely to follow the Athens Olympics model while preparing for Commonwealth Games 2010.

    This will mean suitable infrastructure if the city bids for the Olympics either in 2016 or 2020, Delhi government officials said on Wednesday.

    Chief Secretary S. Regunathan who had gone to Athens during the Olympics has submitted a detailed report to the Lt. Governor. And in the first meeting of the government's core committee for the Games, top officials from the Transport Department, PWD, MCD, DJB, DDA were asked to work out a preliminary plan for the event. Chairing the meeting, the chief secretary asked them to come up with specific projects and the finance needed. These will form inputs for the detailed plan of action.

    The changes needed include upgradation of the transport system, an elevated Ring Road and new hotels. Officials said the DDA would soon advertise for land to construct 2 to 4 star hotels.

    The government will also ask the Airports Authority of India to upgrade its aircraft handling capacity and the Northern Railway for better facilities at railway stations.
  • 113. Civic bodies to submit plans in a montyh
    (Asian Age), By Rabin Sharma

    New Delhi, Oct. 20: The groundwork for the 2010 Commonwealth Games have begun. The Delhi government has asked various agencies in the capital to submit within a month a draft plan pertaining to the city’s civic requirements to cope with the games and the finance required to do so.

    The core committee on the Commonwealth Games met for the first time on Wednesday. The meeting, which was attended by officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board and other agencies, was chaired by Delhi chief secretary S. Regunathan.

    "In the backdrop of the Commonwealth Games, the concerned departments have been asked to make an assessment of the pressure on basic amenities like water and power that the games will have on the capital. The estimates of the requirement along with the fund needed to meet them has to be drafted and submitted within 30 days," said an official, after the meeting. With transport being one of the focus areas for the games, the civic agencies will devise ways to integrate the various transport services in the city with the existing and future centres for the games, said the official. Associated tasks of road up-gradation, road engineering, and road furniture will also be drafted. The draft estimates will further facilitate in appointing consultants as required, to begin preparations for the games in all seriousness, he added.

    The games will also put additional pressure on the airports and railway stations in the capital. Therefore, the agencies will also suggest measures on expanding the services in both these spheres which would apparently mean inclusion of new facilities. The need for more hotels in the city is being felt for the games and the DDA will take action on the issue shortly. It will advertise for hotel sites which primarily includes budget hotels like two and three stars, said the official.

    Mr Regunathan, after his visit to the recently-concluded Olympics in Athens, had prepared a detailed report in keeping with the requirements of Delhi to host the 2010 games. The report had also proposed the creation of the core committee.
  • 114. Join hands in making Delhi a premier city, Sheila to industry
    NEW DELHI, OCT. 20. Inviting suggestions from the trade, industry and various business chambers, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today declared that the Delhi Government would soon formulate a long term internal trade policy for the Capital to retain Delhi's premier status as one of the largest trading centres of North India.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/21/stories/2004102112100400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 115. Civic bodies to submit plans in a montyh
    (Asian Age), Hindustan Times, 22.10.2004

    Saurabh Sinha, New Delhi, October 22

    The Delhi government on Wednesday asked the city’s infrastructure wing — mainly water and power departments — to gear up for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

    While Transco has been asked to complete four projects in time for the Games, DJB has no clue as to how the water demand will be met during the event.

    “We will seek a detailed requirement plan from DDA. Basically we can supply groundwater through tubewells on the riverbed and treat it to meet this demand. But the quality of groundwater is deteriorating so fast that by 2010 no one knows whether it would remain usable or not,” a senior official said.

    Neither can the much-delayed Sonia Vihar line be reserved just for the games. South and east Delhi are desperately awaiting this plant’s water. Other projects in the pipeline also don’t add up to much.

    Transco, on the other hand, was more confident. “As per our action plan, new grid stations at Maharani Bagh, Siri Fort, Akshar Dham and the upgraded Lodhi Station should help provide reliable and steady supply. These would be completed before the games,” a senior Transco official said.

    Distcoms are also working on the distribution network.

    Time to buck up

    DJB asked to submit plan for the Games

    Central Ground Water Board not keeping check on water quality.
  • 116. Govt to start regularisation process
    NEW DELHI: Delhi government will be inviting applications for regularisation from unauthorised colonies that have come up before May 2002. A public notice to this effect will be issued by the urban development ministry soon.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-22/delhi/27167860_1_unauthorised-colonies-regularisation-urban-development (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 117. Manmohan, GoM get cracking with the Games
    Daily Pioneer, 23.10.2004 (also related report about riverbed, 'Bio-diversity parks to boost Delhi's eco-system')

    Rajesh Kumar / New Delhi

    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will soon convene a meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) to take stock of preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held here. A core committee, comprising representatives of the Union Urban Development Ministry, the Delhi Government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), is to be set up by the Government to oversee the implementation of infrastructure relating to the Games.

    "The decks have been cleared for the construction of the Commonwealth Games village on the banks of the Yamuna. The Supreme Court's refusal to grant stay on the construction of the Akshardham temple on the Yamuna river bed cleared all doubts about the location of the Games village," said the sources.

    On the other hand, the Delhi Government's core committee for the 2010 Games, under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary S Reghunathan, met early this week. At the meeting, departments like the DDA, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Public Works Department (PWD), the Northern Railway, power companies, and Environment and Transport Departments have been directed to submit a comprehensive action plan and finance needed for developing infrastructure.

    Sources said that the Chief Secretary, who had been to Athens this summer to study the infrastructure of the Olympic Games, has submitted a report to Lieutenant-Governor BL Joshi. The AAI has been asked to upgrade the passengers' and aircraft handling facilities at the international airport. Similarly, the Northern Railway has been asked to submit a report on better infrastructure and connecting service to the city.

    The Transport Department is to come up with a comprehensive plan for a modern transport system, including elevated corridors on ring roads, a high capacity bus service, sky buses, an electric trolley system and state-of-the-art buses. It is learnt that Transport Secretary Rajiv Talwar, who had gone to Columbia to study Bogota's high-capacity buses, apprised the core committee of his experience and submitted a report.

    The Power Department has been asked to submit a report on the need of the city by the 2010 and how it will plan to cater to the demands of the Games and the people. It is learnt that the Power Department has suggested setting up of a new plant just for the Games village.

    The road-owning agencies like the MCD, the NDMC and the PWD have been told to submit a report each on having modern roads, the kind of technology to be used and relaying the arterial roads. The DDA has been asked to expedite allotment of land for setting up five-star hotels and budget hotels.
  • 118. Bio-diversity parks to boost Delhi’s eco-system
    Sonia Sarkar/ New Delhi

    The lost eco-system on the flood plains and the wetlands of the Yamuna river basin and the semi-arid biotic communities of the Aravalis will soon be visible again in parts of the Capital. In a joint initiative with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Eco-systems (CEMDE) of Delhi University (DU) is developing two bio-diversity parks - one near Wazirabad and the other between Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj.

    To be spread over a sprawling 157 acres near Wazirabad, the unique bio-diversity park is aimed at recreating the native species of the Yamuna river basin. At present the park comprises varieties of plant communities including hard wickia, mixed deciduous, sub-tropical deciduous, mixed semi-evergreen, sal and teak forests. This also includes the fruit orchards including 500 types of fruit yielding trees and two wetlands harbouring at least 20 species of fish.

    This would be extended to 330 acres more in an adjoining area of the park in the next few years.

    "Our target is to create 30 native plant communities and other biotic communities and we also want to bring all the birds, who once migrated to the Yamuna river basin, back," said Dr A Joshi, one of the two scientists who is working with the CEMDE on the project costing Rs 18 crore.

    The migratory birds like sand pipers, wagtails, swallows, dapchicks and coots are frequently visible on the wetlands. And interestingly, both the wetlands have been artificially created to provide habitat for different kinds of birds.

    "One of the two wetlands covering 1.8 km is shallow and marshy with lots of grasslands surrounding it, which acts as a shelter for some birds. While the other covering two and a half hectares is a deep and open which would provide habitat for birds, who need space to land and take off," said Mr V Gagote, who too is associated with CEMDE in the project.

    It was through the natural mechanism, the unwanted salts were recycled through succession and the barren land was transformed into a productive one.

    "It was very difficult to grow any kind of vegetation owing to the alkaline soil and even the water level at the wetland dipped low as the water was saline," said Dr Joshi. "Therefore, we used two different types of grass calledviteveria and captochloa as the remedial measure to change the pitch of the soil and make it feasible for other plants to grow," he said.

    This park will also have a special centre called Nature Interpretation Centre, which would act as a guide to the bio-diversity park.

    The park replicating the bio-communities of the Aravali range at a sprawling 700 acres at Vasant Kunj, however is yet to be developed but likely to be opened to the public in a year's time.

    "The mission of the parks is to serve as a repository and heritage of the biodiversity of both the Yamuna river and Aravali with ecological, cultural and educational benefits to the urban society," said Professor C R Babu, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University.
  • 119. Public Notice of September 2004
    Proposal to modify DMP to "regularize" metro property development come up illegally on the riverbed.
    http://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-22629
  • 120. Letter about illegalities, 24.10.2004.
    http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/ff8100de-53b8-441f-afca-b20c25f99337
  • 121. PM reviews C’wealth games preparation
    (Hindustan Times), HT Correspondent

    New Delhi, October 26

    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday chaired a meeting of the Group of Ministers to discuss ways and means for projecting India as a strong contender for the 2016 Olympic Games. Delhi Lt Governor B.L. Joshi and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit attended the meeting as special invitees.

    Detailed discussions were reportedly held on creating the necessary infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games keeping in mind the 2016 Olympics.

    Taking personal interest in the matter, the Prime Minister was reported to have directed the ministers to draw up plans to refurbish Delhi's image as a world class city.

    While the routine evaluation and implementation of all schemes will be handled at the level of the GoM headed by HRD Minister Arjun Singh, the PMO is expected to keep a tab on the macro-management of the projects for speedy completion.

    Discussions on adding the tourism dimension to the events were also were held. The Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics are perceived as a great opportunity to showcase India as a major world player with its rich and divergent past and high-tech present.

    Sources said the city’s infrastructure would be developed to boost tourism and beautify the Capital. Plans are also afoot to project India through several ad campaigns.

    Sports Minister Sunil Dutt was made Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. LG Joshi will head the infrastructure committee.

    The Union Ministers of External Affairs, Finance, HRD, Tourism, Urban Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Overseas Affairs, Youth and Sports also attended the meeting.
  • 122. Games GoM plans Olympic infrastructure
    (Asian Age), By Our Correspondent

    New Delhi, Oct. 25: With an aim to develop an infrastructure capable of holding the 2016 or 2020 Olympics, the Group of Ministers on Commonwealth Games met on Monday.

    The meeting, presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, deliberated on measures necessary to build quality infrastructure in the capital which could enable the city to bid for the Olympic Games, said sources.

    The meeting was attended by the Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Delhi Lieutenant Governor B.L. Joshi and Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit amongst others.

    The said persons are the members of the GoM which was constituted recently to review the preparations for the upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games.

    "The Delhi government is the implementing agency for the Games and Dr Singh has asked the various agencies involved to begin with the associated tasks for building the infrastructure in all urgency," said Ms Dikshit talking to the reporters.

    The GoM is akin to the GoM on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation with an additional agency involved that is Commonwealth Secretariat, she said. The role of the secretariat would be apparently to monitor with their own sets of parameters that they have for such occasions, she added. Dr Singh is the convenor of the GoM.
  • 123. C’wealth: Dikshit briefs PM, Arjun on preparation, Express Newsline
    source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=104665
  • 124. Sunil Dutt to head C'wealth panel
    NEW DELHI: A Commonwealth Games organising committee headed by sports minister Sunil Dutt was established on Monday.

    The decision was taken at a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) that was attended by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Lieutenant Governor B L Joshi and chief secretary S Regunathan.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-26/delhi/27145279_1_sunil-dutt-head-c-wealth-panel-commonwealth-games (Retrieved 20th July, 2013)
  • 125. Azad has green plans for Capital
    (Daily Pioneer), Pramod Kumar Singh/ New Delhi,

    To provide better living environment and a lung space in and around Delhi, Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has mooted a plan to develop city forests, district parks and regional parks. A greenery lover to the core, Mr Azad has written to the Chief Ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan for their participation in the "green project" which will help in improving the air quality the National Capital Region (NCR).

    There are already 24 city forests in Delhi. Mr Azad 's concern lies with the rapid growth and more and more areas in the city being urbanised besides densification of the existing areas. The towns and cities in NCR are no exception to this phenomenon.

    The minister plans to extend his pet project further by involving the participation of Central Public Works Department(PWD) for preparing a green belt.

    The minister has also proposed to bring this issue as an additional agenda item in the forthcoming meeting of the NCR Planning Board on October,28 in the Capital.

    In his letter to Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje, Mr Azad has expressed his concern about shrinking green areas. "The urban areas in the cities are registering rapid growth and more and more areas in cities are being urbanised besides densification of the existing areas. As a result, the green areas are shrinking very fast. The towns and cities in NCR are no exception to this phenomenon".

    Azad has requested the Chief Ministers to identify areas withing their respective states in NCR which could be developed as city forests. While the ownership of the lands will remain with the state governments, NCR planning board may assist in the development of these city forests.

    In this context, it is essential to develop city forests, district parks and regional parks. A concerted effort needs to be made so that every urban areas has well managed city forest and green cover both for providing lung space as well as recreational facilities to the urban population, the minister said.

    Before coming out with the idea of city forests in the NCR, Mr Azad had proposed to create a lung space zone in Delhi starting from Lodhi Garden to Nehru Park.

    The proposed green zone will provide clean air to the morning walkers and will also enhance the ambient air quality in the heart of the cit.
  • 126. Go green, Delhi tells NCR towns
    (Hindustan Times), Aruna P Sharma

    New Delhi, October 26

    There is still hope of saving NCR towns from becoming concrete jungles. Developing forests in these towns will be on the agenda of the NCR Planning Board meeting on Thursday.

    Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, asking them to identify land in their NCR towns that can be developed for city forests.

    The states will own the forests and the board may assist in developing them, Azad has said in his letters to the chief ministers.

    The aim is to provide open space and green cover in these towns. Delhi has 25 notified protected forests, but their boundaries are not demarcated and their condition does not tally with the notification.

    But the city has very few green places like Delhi Zoo and India Gate. City forests will be an additional agenda at the board meet, which will be attended by the chief ministers and officials of Delhi and the three other states. Azad believes that a strategy is needed for creating urban forests, which improve air quality and provide recreational facilities.

    Ministry officials said that the concept of city forests will be expanded to other towns and cities of the country.

    The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been asked by the Centre to identify government lands that are not required for any project and can be developed as forest areas.
  • 127. Comment on Draft National Environment Policy
    A synergy platform of citizen’s groups with legitimate stakes in benefits of planned development.
    http://architexturez.net/pst/4ab6a094-4945-1be4-51c5-0566c0548b32
  • 128. It park rents deter MNCs
    Asian Age, 27.10.2004, By Our Correspondent

    New Delhi, Oct. 26: Even as Delhi’s first Information Technology park being constructed with the aid of the Delhi government is nearing completion at Shastri Park in East Delhi, MNCs have begun vying for space. High property rentals till now have not only made the setting up of big IT parks in the capital non-viable, but has led to their establishment in the adjoining territories.

    The park, which will have six lakh square feet of full construction, will become operational by the end of the year. The project, which was started in November 2003 and is being developed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, is an example of immaculate workmanship with just four civil engineers and three electrical engineers involved in construction, said Delhi IT secretary Prakash Kumar.

    Though Delhi has a couple of IT parks, they are small in magnitude as the high property rents act as a disincentive for the entrepreneurs of the companies to set up their base in Delhi. Instead, the adjoining territories like Noida or Gurgaon are more financially viable for them, said Mr Kumar.

    The Indian government, about six years ago, launched a scheme to encourage IT in the major cities. But for Delhi, most other cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai made good of the scheme. In Delhi, even though land was identified in Dwarka region, the project could not take off, said the official.

    Apparently depending on the success of this IT park, the government here could think in terms of multiplying the effect. Generally, the software companies or MNCs rent out even though this park has the provision of selling off the portions too. The reason is that IT work involves not much of permanent assets and if cheaper alternatives are available, the companies opt for them, as in the case of Noida or Gurgaon, said the official.
  • 129. More funds for Yamuna plan
    Aruna P. Sharma

    New Delhi, October 28

    The ministry of environment and forests has released funds for Phase II of the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), amounting to Rs 387.15 crore.

    While DJB has already submitted its plans for the five sewer rehabilitation and sewage treatment plant projects on which this amount will be spent, environmentalists have raised questions about YAP I, which failed to improve the Yamuna’s water quality.

    “In the last five years, the government spent over Rs 1,000 crore on cleaning the river under YAP-I, extended phase I and Common Effluent Treatment plants. But pollution in the river has gone up. There should be a scrutiny as to why phase I failed. Without a review, spending more means more money down the drain,” says CSE director Sunita Narain.

    According to Delhi government officials, YAP Phase II seems headed the same way as phase I. More than Rs 170 crore is to be spent on rehabilitating three trunk sewers — at Bela Road, Wazirabad and the Ring Road. Officials say there is little point in this as sewage never reaches these sewers. Rather, it is let out from the internal sewers into the nullahs. So, unless the internal and peripheral sewers are relaid and linked with the trunk sewers, the rehabilitation work will have little effect on river water quality.

    A more feasible idea would be to take up one particular area where there is severe sewer clogging and upgrade the sewer services, so pollution from that one area is reduced at least, say officials. The Supreme Court, in its order dated November 6, 2001, had directed the DJB that no untreated sewer should enter the Yamuna by 2003. But according to the ministry’s report last year, the Yamuna isn’t even fit for aquatic life or bathing.
  • 130. Dilli Haat goes to East Delhi
    HT Correspondent
    New Delhi, October 28

    Dilli Haat is going places. After successfully drawing the crowds at INA and then moving on to Pitampura, where it is still under construction, the cultural hub is all set to debut in East Delhi.Urban development and finance minister A.K. Walia on Wednesday said that after much delay, DDA has allotted 3.5-acre land in Geeta Colony for the purpose. Interestingly, the new Haat falls in the minister's constituency.

    The news will bring much relief to the residents of the area, who till now had to brave traffic and parking problems to visit the Haat in South Delhi. The project layout has not been prepared as yet. However, Delhi Tourism will soon make a presentation to Lieutenant-Governor B.L. Joshi about the same.

    For the past three years, the government had been seeking permission from the L-G for the project. However, the then L-G Vijay Kapoor, had denied it on the grounds that the progress of the Pitampura Haat was not satisfactory. The government had also been asked to wait and see how people responded to the Pitampura complex before it was replicated in east Delhi.After Joshi took over, the government sought his permission.

    The Rs 10-crore project would be completed within a year. The Haat will be latest in a series of projects here. Bungee jumping has been introduced at Sanjay Lake. A cultural centre has come up at Laxmi Nagar.
  • 131. Left doubts regularisation move
    NEW DELHI, OCT. 28. The Delhi State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today described as "half-hearted" the decision taken by the Union and Delhi Government on regularisation of industries in non-conforming areas with over 70 per cent industrial concentration.

    http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/29/stories/2004102910830400.htm (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 132. Early Diwali for squatters in Delhi
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Friday decided to regularise all unauthorised colonies — from jhuggi-jhonpri colonies to the ritzy Sainik Farms.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-30/delhi/27161606_1_unauthorised-colonies-development-charges-regularisation-policy (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)
  • 133. How big is the boom?
    It's big enough right now. In south Delhi, property rates are up by almost 15-30 per cent; in east Delhi, by 50 per cent. This has happened in the last two years. "Till 2001, prices were falling and the fall was as sharp as 40 per cent," says Sanjay Verma, MD, Cushman and Wakefield. But the growth in demand has led to prices spiralling dramatically upwards.

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-10-31/delhi/27170069_1_property-prices-property-rates-metro-service (Retrieved 5th December, 2012)