The Delhi High Court has said that before introducing any change in the city’s master plan, policymakers should keep in view its possible environmental impact as well as the consequent burden on the existing civic amenities.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar observed that various species of birds have already disappeared from the city and others are fast disappearing. The court made these observations while referring to the environmental impact of the increasing population and the corresponding rise in the number of buildings in the national capital.
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The court said, “You have lost sparrows, crows are few in number and mynas are fast disappearing” adding that even the flora has been affected as fewer plants are seen flowering and the flowers too are smaller in size.
The court observed, “When changing the master plan to permit commercial establishments to run from residential areas, you should look at the burden it would put on water, sewage and electricity, the air pollution caused due to the increase in vehicular numbers as well as the ‘light pollution’ caused by neon signs.”
The bench was hearing PILs filed for directions to the authorities concerned to take measures for handling the monkey and dog menace owing to the rise in their numbers in the city.
The court had earlier made its observations on the proposed amendment to the master plan following the protest by traders against the sealing drive launched by the municipal authorities. The court remarked that a few people have “held the city to ransom”.
The government has prepared the Master Plan-2021 to ensure overall development of the city in a proper manner. Now amendments have been proposed to bring about a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residential plots and complexes on a par with that for residential plots.
