On the night of 10.07.03, the 14th century dam built
by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in Mahipalpur broke.
Defence Enclave and CISF flats (both in violation of
the Master Plan) east of Mahipalpur village in the
haud in which water from the north is contained by the
dam were getting flooded. Residents, on their own
according to some and through DDA according to others,
broke a part of the dam to let the water out. Water
gushed down the road to NH-8 to waterlog the highway
and settlements near the airport. Settlements south of
Mahipalpur also began to get flooded. Flood Control
Department was called in and made repairs in the
evening on 11.07.03. The repaired portion collapsed at
night and, it seems, buried a worker.
A Delhi Government official said to someone on phone
that they had repaired a soil conservation structure
that Mahipalpur people had broken. Mahipalpur
villagers, now blamed of vandalising the bundh, are
the only ones to have been seeking in vain since
late-90s conservation and development interventions,
since 2001 within the ambit of their Master Plan
entitlements, from both Delhi and Central government.
While much is purportedly being ?done? in bhagidari
with 'civil society' on water, heritage and villages,
including in the vicinity of Mahipalpur, the dam
broke.
I am no expert on either heritage or water, but I
think flooding practically atop the ridge because of
breach of possibly the oldest surviving engineered
water structure in the city is cause for alarm. I will
try and post on the web some information about
Mahipalpur samiti's long-standing efforts as soon as
possible. If anyone wants to visit and/or needs any
information, contact numbers, etc, meanwhile, please
mail or call (26132921, 26895840).
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by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in Mahipalpur broke.
Defence Enclave and CISF flats (both in violation of
the Master Plan) east of Mahipalpur village in the
haud in which water from the north is contained by the
dam were getting flooded. Residents, on their own
according to some and through DDA according to others,
broke a part of the dam to let the water out. Water
gushed down the road to NH-8 to waterlog the highway
and settlements near the airport. Settlements south of
Mahipalpur also began to get flooded. Flood Control
Department was called in and made repairs in the
evening on 11.07.03. The repaired portion collapsed at
night and, it seems, buried a worker.
A Delhi Government official said to someone on phone
that they had repaired a soil conservation structure
that Mahipalpur people had broken. Mahipalpur
villagers, now blamed of vandalising the bundh, are
the only ones to have been seeking in vain since
late-90s conservation and development interventions,
since 2001 within the ambit of their Master Plan
entitlements, from both Delhi and Central government.
While much is purportedly being ?done? in bhagidari
with 'civil society' on water, heritage and villages,
including in the vicinity of Mahipalpur, the dam
broke.
I am no expert on either heritage or water, but I
think flooding practically atop the ridge because of
breach of possibly the oldest surviving engineered
water structure in the city is cause for alarm. I will
try and post on the web some information about
Mahipalpur samiti's long-standing efforts as soon as
possible. If anyone wants to visit and/or needs any
information, contact numbers, etc, meanwhile, please
mail or call (26132921, 26895840).
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
http://search.yahoo.com