National Green Tribunal Criticizes Delhi's Delayed Yamuna Floodplain Demarcation
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has strongly criticized the Delhi government for what it deems an unreasonable deadline of August 2026 to complete the demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain. In a recent order, the tribunal directed the state administration to submit a fresh report within two weeks, outlining a shorter and more practical timeline for this critical environmental task.
Background and Tribunal's Intervention
The NGT took cognizance of media reports, including those from The Times of India, highlighting flooding issues and significant delays in demarcating the floodplain along a 22-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna River in Delhi, from Wazirabad to Palla. This action underscores the tribunal's proactive stance in addressing environmental concerns that impact public safety and urban planning.
Delhi Government's Report and Technical Hurdles
In a report dated December 5, 2025, submitted to the NGT, the Delhi government detailed steps taken to comply with earlier tribunal directives. These directives required the demarcation to align with criteria previously adopted for the Ganga River. The report explained that the irrigation and flood control department had shared Survey of India data with Geospatial Delhi Limited, which produced a preliminary PDF map. This map superimposed one-metre contours over the 1:100-year floodplain boundary.
However, the report admitted that no ground truthing—a process of verifying map data with on-site inspections—has been conducted yet. The study, awarded to the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) in Pune, faced technical limitations due to data gaps, leading to the projected completion date of August 2026.
NGT's Observations and Directives
The NGT bench, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, expressed skepticism about the relevance of the CWPRS work for floodplain demarcation. In an order dated February 23, the tribunal noted that the exercise should be completed based on Survey of India's data, which has already been received. The bench pointed out that in other states, similar tasks involving ground truthing, pillar installation, and floodplain demarcation have been completed expeditiously without delays after obtaining details from the Survey of India.
Justice Shrivastava stated, "We find that the timeline of August 2026 given in the above reply is not a reasonable timeline." Consequently, the NGT has instructed the Delhi government to re-examine the necessary steps for demarcation and undertake an expeditious exercise at the ground level, leveraging the available Survey of India data.
Next Steps and Hearing Schedule
The tribunal has mandated that the Delhi government file a fresh report within two weeks, proposing a shorter timeline for completing the floodplain demarcation. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on March 25, 2026, emphasizing the urgency of this environmental compliance issue.
This development highlights ongoing challenges in urban environmental management in Delhi, with the NGT pushing for faster action to mitigate flood risks and protect the Yamuna River ecosystem.
