Delhi High Court Orders Urgent Relocation of Bhalaswa and Ghogha Dairy Colonies

Delhi High Court mandates the relocation of dairies from Bhalaswa to Ghogha within four weeks, citing illegal land use and animal cruelty. The order followed a Public Interest Litigation highlighting harsh conditions and health hazards in current dairy colonies.

The Delhi High Court has issued a directive for the immediate relocation of all dairies from Bhalaswa to Ghogha Dairy Colony within a four-week period. The court instructed statutory authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), to take immediate action.

The court further noted that dairy plot allottees in these colonies had illegally converted their designated cattle sheds into commercial and residential properties without lawful sanction. Additionally, the superstructures on these plots were also constructed without official approval.

In reviewing the December 5, 1976 allotment conditions of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the court highlighted that the plots were meant exclusively for cattle sheds and not as dwelling units. It dismissed any claims of equity by the occupants of these unauthorized structures. The court underscored the failure of statutory authorities to prevent milch cattle from feeding on garbage at nearby sanitary landfills, prompting the need for immediate relocation due to available land in Ghogha Dairy Colony.

Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela emphasized that named officers from MCD, DUSIB, and GNCTD would be held personally accountable for complying with the court’s orders. These officers are required to file action taken reports by August 22, a day before the next hearing on August 23.

The court also issued previous directives to maintain hygiene in the dairy colonies, ensure medical care for the cattle, and curb the use of spurious oxytocin. These directives included making veterinary hospitals operational near all designated dairies and installing biogas plants to produce dry manure and Compressed Biogas (CBG) fuel.

The court stressed the urgent need to relocate the Ghazipur and Bhalaswa dairies, which are currently adjacent to sanitary landfill sites, to areas with proper sewage, drainage, biogas plants, and ample grazing spaces. Court-appointed commissioners informed the court about animal cruelty practices, such as the non-therapeutic administration of oxytocin to increase milk production, which is a cognizable offense under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Petitioners, represented by Senior Advocate Vivek Sibal, drew attention to the dire conditions in the dairy colonies. Alleged violations included severe overcrowding, neglect of injured animals, poor waste disposal practices, and the administration of spurious drugs. These issues have led to environmental pollution, public health hazards, and food safety violations.