Yamuna Bazar ghats fall under O-zone area, encroachment not allowed: Delhi Govt

The Delhi government said on Thursday that the Yamuna Bazar in north Delhis Kashmere Gate is located in the O-Zone area of the Yamuna floodplain stretch, where encroachment is not allowed. The National Green Tribunal NGT has directed the DDA to take necessary action regarding encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains, the government said in a statement.

The Delhi government said on Thursday that the Yamuna Bazar in north Delhi's Kashmere Gate is located in the O-Zone area of the Yamuna floodplain stretch, where encroachment is not allowed. It said these ghats have been encroached upon over time. ''The land belongs to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and all construction activity in the area is strictly prohibited. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the DDA to take necessary action regarding encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains,'' the government said in a statement. It said there are 32 ghats in the Yamuna Bazar area, where around 1,100 people reside, and around 310 residential structures exist. Officials said they served 26 notices earlier this week, directing the recipients to vacate the area within 15 days. Acting under these directives, the DDA has conducted drives in the O-Zone area over the past few years and reclaimed a significant portion of land used for residential and commercial purposes. ''It has been observed that the area gets submerged during Yamuna floods almost every year, particularly during the floods of 2023 and 2025, posing a serious threat to human life, livestock and property,'' the government said. ''Repeated flooding also requires extensive emergency response measures involving manpower, resources and government expenditure,'' they added. During such situations, the revenue department has had to undertake temporary evacuation and rehabilitation measures, putting additional pressure on public resources, it said.