The Delhi High Court has made strong remarks on the Centre's decision to take over properties in Lutyens' Delhi, including the Gymkhana Club and the Indian Polo Association's (IPA) grounds, and raised concerns over the shrinking green spaces in the national capital.
The IPA filed a petition in the court after it got an eviction notice on the grounds located opposite the prime minister's official house. The Centre cited a need to strengthen and secure "defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes".
During the hearing, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said green spaces in Delhi were already rare, and now whatever "little green space" remains in the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) areas is also being taken.
"Delhi will choke. God save us all if this is how you want Delhi to live," the high court said.
The court questioned whether the government plans to build high rises in the area.
"We have a little breather in the NDMC area. It is also going away and all of us are going to suffocate and die," the high court said.
The high court then disposed of the IPA's petition and directed the trial court to decide on the IPA's request, which sought to stay the eviction notice. The trial court is likely to hear the matter on Wednesday.
The Centre's lawyer Ashish Dixit defended the government's decision, saying the land is needed for public and defence purposes. He said there is limited space in the central Delhi area, but the government's functions have to be carried out from this area itself.
The IPA was established in 1892. It is registered under the Societies Registration Act.
In the Gymkhana Club matter too, the Centre had said the land was essential to fulfil "urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure, and public-interest projects, integrated with the resumption of adjoining government lands".
Established in 1913 during the colonial era, the Delhi Gymkhana Club is regarded as one of the country's oldest and most prestigious social institutions and has long served as a hub for senior bureaucrats, diplomats, military officials and influential citizens.
