NEW DELHI: “We have given everything for the development of Delhi. Siri Fort, Hauz Khas and Panchsheel have all been developed on the land of Shahpur Jat village and this is the only piece of open land that we have to celebrate festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussehra. But the MCD is being very insensitive,” says Saroj Panwar, a senior citizen from Delhi’s Shahpur Jat .
Residents have been sitting on a dharna against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to allot a 6,500- sqm land parcel, which they call the area’s only open space, to waste management contractor South Delhi MSW Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (SDMSWSPL) for parking vehicles and other activities.
The protest has been joined by senior citizens and young residents, who are demanding withdrawal of the civic body’s August 31 authorisation letter. Residents have also formally approached the Archaeological Survey of India and Forest Department, alleging damage to the Siri Fort Wall and uprooting of trees after work began.
According to the MCD’s August 31 order, the parcel near t h e CAQM centrein Shahpur Jat, Ward 172, was identified for parking project vehicles, storing equipment, maintenance and other operational requirements.
The order says the area shall be kept dust-free and “no tree cutting shall be permitted” as per Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) guidelines.
As per a complaint submitted to the ASI, residents alleged that on September 2, a waste management team arrived with a JCB and around 20 men and labourers and began work near the Siri Fort Wall.
They alleged that around 10-15 trees were uprooted and the protected monument was damaged. Residents further said the contractor’s team claimed the work was being carried out with MCD officials’ authorisation. The complaint said the site would be used for sheds, storage, parking spaces, e-vehicle charging infrastructure and garbage trucks. Bharatt, a leading protester, said, “We will continue the strike till MCD rolls back its decision.”
The Shahpur Jat Village Society has sought cancellation of the August 31 order, restraint on the contractor from bringing or parking garbage vehicles at the site, and allotment of an alternative parcel to SDMSWSPL.