Reversing the previous Delhi Government's policy to convert the Millennium depot into a permanent arrangement, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the depot should be shifted to another site.
The depot being constructed on Yamuna riverbed flouts the environmental norms and therefore an alternate site should be located to park the buses. The CM made these comments a day prior to the Government's hearing on the matter before the Delhi High Court, which seeks to demolish the depot.
The depot was constructed as a temporary arrangement by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) during the Commonwealth Games. However, the erstwhile Sheila Dikshit Government moved the High Court against the PIl filed by the environmentalists to scrap the depot on the grounds that its construction was against the Master Plan and Zonal Plan for the river. The demolition of the depot will create huge problems for the DTC and cluster buses admit the Government officials as it provides a parking space for 1,000 buses.
The court case seeks to raze the depot but the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will have to provide an alternate site to park the buses.
"The final decision on the depot has to be taken by the court as a hearing in the matter is scheduled for Thursday. Spread over an expanse of 50 acres, the Millennium depot provides a parking space for 900 State-run DTC buses and another 100 buses operated under the cluster scheme.
Another 50 buses are likely to be accommodated at the depot, once they arrive," said a Delhi Government official. Inaugurated in 2012, the depot is spread over the largest area that DTC has in the city. The environmentalists moved to the HC against demanding the demolition of the depot as the project is not just harmful to the wetlands but also poses grievous risks to the underground water.
As per Zone Development Plan of the Master Plan, the area comes under Zone 'O' which is earmarked as Yamuna River and Water Body and DDA had earlier planned to construct a recreation park in the area with a view to conserve the ecosystem.