6 days ago
Delhi High Court orders MCD to cover dangerous Okhla drain
The Delhi High Court is worried about an open drain in Okhla.
The drain has no cover or wall to protect people nearby.
The court told the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to cover it with slabs right away.
It also ordered the corporation to build a wall between the drain and the road.
The corporation had said it was waiting for permission from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.
The court said safety work should not wait for that permission.
It also ordered regular cleaning and removal of mud and garbage.
The court has criticized civic agencies before after people fell into open drains.
The Delhi High Court ordered the MCD to immediately cover an open Okhla drain with slabs.
The MCD must also build a separator wall without awaiting an Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department NOC.
The court cited serious risks to residents and commuters from the unprotected drain.
It ordered continuous desilting and cleaning after photographs showed substantial litter and garbage.
The directive followed recent deaths and earlier criticism of civic bodies over open-drain safety.
- Who
- The Delhi High Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to take safety measures; the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department had been asked for an NOC.
- What
- The MCD must immediately cover the Okhla drain, build a separator wall, and continuously desilt and clean the area.
- Where
- An open drain along a road in Okhla, including the Abul Fazal Enclave area of Delhi.
- When
- The direction was issued in the court’s August 24 order; related orders had been issued in March.
- Why
- The court said the uncovered drain posed a serious safety hazard to residents, commuters, and drivers.
Immediate safety action
Administrative procedure
Whether work should await an NOC
Immediate safety action
The Delhi High Court said the MCD must build the separator wall and cover the drain immediately because the danger to residents outweighed waiting for further formalities.
Administrative procedure
The MCD told the court that construction of the separator wall required an NOC from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, which had requested 10 days to issue it.
Responsibility for drain safety
Immediate safety action
The High Court has criticized civic bodies for failing to barricade or protect open drains and ordered the MCD to address the hazard.
Administrative procedure
The MCD and Delhi Development Authority have previously disputed which agency was responsible for a drain, with the DDA saying the relevant drain fell under MCD jurisdiction while a police probe found it was under the DDA’s jurisdiction.
Key facts
- Court order
- The Delhi High Court directed immediate protective work on the Okhla drain.
- Required protection
- The MCD must install slabs over the drain and construct a separator wall.
- Pending permission
- The MCD had said the separator wall required a No Objection Certificate from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.
- Existing measures
- The MCD told the court that reflectors and lights had already been installed.
- Maintenance
- The court ordered continuous desilting and cleaning because litter and garbage were visible around the drain.
- Recent incident
- A 15-year-old boy fell into an open drain in Jasola while trying to catch a kite; his body was recovered four days later, 500 metres away.
- Earlier deaths
- In August 2024, a woman and her three-year-old son drowned after falling into a 15-foot-deep open drain during the monsoon.
Quotes
Delhi High Court division bench
Division bench comprising Justices Prathiba Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora
“Considering the danger that the drain could pose to local residents, this court directs the MCD to immediately construct the separator wall and put slabs covering the open drain, without awaiting any further ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department…”
indianexpress.com
“The court has seen the images of the drain and is extremely concerned with the manner in which it is running without any protection… The open drain without any separator wall or covering can pose a serious safety hazard for the residents and commuters of the area.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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