The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to vacate the 50-acre millennium bus depot on the Yamuna banks by January 27, saying the DTC had been allotted substantial portions of land at four locations in the Capital, where it could shift its buses.
The Bench of Justice Manmohan, hearing a contempt petition moved by environmental activists Anand Arya and Manoj Misra, said the DTC Managing Director would have to appear in person in the court on February 1 if the DTC does not vacate the site by that date.
The contempt petition had contended that the DTC had not complied with the High Court's September 13, 2012 order, in which had directed the transport body to either get the Delhi Master Plan-2021 amended, so that the depot could remain where it is, or vacate the site. The court had given six months to DTC to comply with the order.
The court said since land at four locations had been allotted to DTC and it was not possible to change the land use of millennium bus depot site, the corporation will have to shift its buses from there.
In its status reports, the DTC had informed the court that it had been allotted 8.25 acres of land at Sarai Kale Khan, 10 acres at Narela, 16.33 acres at Anand Vihar and 20 acres at Rohini Phase V.
The court also noted the DTC's submission that the possession of alternate sites had been handed over to it and the land use of the plots had been changed by way of notifications. The DTC had also told the court that it was reconstructing old depots to make them low floor bus-friendly.
The millennium bus depot was constructed on the banks of Yamuna river at a cost of Rs.60 crore for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
