Ref: News report about Hon’ble High court issuing notice in a PIL against misuse of farmhouses

Sir,

In our above-mentioned PIL, Hon’ble High Court had issued notice on 22.09.04. We have written twice about continuing illegalities on sites under projects challenged. These continue and have grown, along with private party illegal developments in their proximity. So far no reply has been filed.

With reference to the news item under reference (reproduced below), we wish to point out that in representations pertaining to J-Zone developments we have repeatedly raised the issue of misuse of farmhouses, “emboldened” by misuse of J-Zone sites by government. Apropos “policy” to allow this misuse, vide enclosed letter of 17.02.20041

objections were raised with reference to provisions of Delhi Development Act, 1957. It is further noteworthy that even in Public Notice for redevelopment of industrial clusters, published by MoUD on 19.11.2004, ridge and riverbed have been excluded. In J-Zone environmental damage (in terms of ground water depletion, besides environmental pollution) by non-conforming farmhouses is far greater than by most non-conforming industries.

We request that these issues be answered in the PIL about farmhouses as well as in our PIL, for which we also request that replies be expedited, so that no adjournment is necessary on 01.12.04.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely

Gita Dewan Verma

MPISG Planner

News report: Use of farmhouses, court questions (ToI, 20.11.04)2

• 1. Farmhouse-party policy: Objection
  Request for equal policy for Yamuna Pushta till exams, letter of 17.02.04 to secretary moud about policy to allow misuse of farmhouses for parties for a fee.

  http://skel.architexturez.net/pst/02ff2b4b-29f5-4ae2-b9f5-924803935e93

• 2. Use of farmhouses, court questions
  NEW DELHI: Taking serious note of the misuse of farmhouses in the city, the Delhi High Court has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to explain the provision under which the agencies have relaxed the conditions for the usage of farmhouses.

  "The respondents are directed to place before the court, on affidavit, the provisions of law permitting the respondents to issue guidelines for relaxing conditions of the use of farmhouses," a division bench of Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice B D Ahmed ordered.

  http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-11-20/delhi/27163559_1_farmhouses-noise-pollution-court-questions (Retrieved 14th August, 2013)