By Tajdar H Zaidi
In a significant development with far-reaching implications for the city of Agra, more than 5,000 structures—including numerous high-rise buildings and residential complexes housing hundreds of families—face the risk of demolition. This follows a recent notification by the Uttar Pradesh government, which officially demarcated the floodplain of the Yamuna River.
The government issued this notification on 22 January 2025, acting in compliance with an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had been hearing a petition filed by Agra-based environmentalist Dr. Sharad Gupta, which raised concerns about unchecked development and environmental degradation in the Yamuna floodplain area.
According to the government, the contours of the Yamuna floodplain were determined scientifically, based on a 100-year historical record of the river’s behavior. This extensive study led to the identification of a 5.09-kilometer stretch along the right bank of the Yamuna and a 2.55-kilometer stretch along the left bank as flood-prone zones.
The notification immediately banned any new constructions within this demarcated zone. Furthermore, it declared all existing constructions in the area as illegal, leaving the future of these structures uncertain. This decision has sent shockwaves through Agra, as numerous buildings within this zone have been approved by the Agra Development Authority (ADA), raising questions about the implications for builders, residents, and the local economy.
The Yamuna spans roughly 167 kilometers within Agra’s borders, and across Uttar Pradesh, its total length extends to 1,056 kilometers, from Asgarpur to Naav. The newly demarcated floodplain area along the Yamuna is a massive 15,925 square kilometers.
The notification has created turmoil among residents and developers, as the fate of the more than 5,000 constructions, including residential societies and commercial projects, hangs in the balance. Builders argue that several of these projects were constructed with proper approval from the ADA.
This situation is not unprecedented. In 2016, following an earlier NGT order, many illegal constructions within the Yamuna floodplain were demolished. This included projects by prominent builders such as Ganpati Buildtech Pvt Ltd, whose managing director, Nikhil Agarwal, claims that many of the demolished projects had valid ADA approvals at the time of construction.
Agarwal voiced concerns over the current notification, stating that any fresh demarcation would force builders to seek legal recourse to prevent further project damage. He emphasized that earlier demarcations had affected only unapproved constructions, but the new notification appears to blur the lines between legal and illegal projects.
The demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain has been a subject of hearings in the NGT for over three years. The tribunal first sought input from the irrigation department on whether a floodplain demarcation already existed. Upon learning that no such demarcation had been carried out, the NGT formed a high-level committee to undertake this task across the entire Yamuna stretch, from Haryana to Prayagraj.
For the study, the river’s coastlines in major cities like Delhi and Agra were divided into three categories. Historical flood data revealed significant flooding in 1978 and 2010, which affected areas like Belanganj, Balkeshwar, Florin Bagh, Runakta, Jaganpur, Manoharpur, Khaspur, and Nagla Godown. These events underscored the urgency of scientifically identifying and protecting the floodplain.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s notification is based on a study conducted by the state water commission in collaboration with prominent national organizations, including the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), the Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC), the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and the Central Water Commission (CWC).
Despite this scientific backing, the irrigation department reportedly does not know the updated floodplain demarcation. Previously, the National Remote Sensing Centre had geotagged pillars marking the floodplain, but the fresh demarcation has not been adequately communicated to the concerned departments.
The NGT’s involvement in this matter stems from a petition filed by Dr. Sharad Gupta. In 2022, Dr. Gupta discovered illegal mining activities in the Taj Reserve Forest area, allegedly carried out with the connivance of local officials, including then-divisional forest officer A.K. Pandey.
In response, Dr. Gupta filed a petition with the NGT, demanding immediate action to curb illegal mining activities and enforce stricter regulations to protect the Yamuna floodplain. Acting on his plea, the NGT directed the demarcation of the floodplain across Uttar Pradesh.
This led to the recent government notification, which impacts areas in 17 districts of the state, including Agra. While the notification restricts any new constructions in the floodplain, it remains unclear what measures will be taken regarding existing structures and the families currently residing in them.
The government’s lack of clarity on the fate of existing constructions has left thousands of families and numerous developers in a state of limbo. While environmentalists hail the move as a step toward sustainable development and ecological balance, affected residents and builders are grappling with the implications of this decision.
The controversy has reignited debates over the role of urban planning authorities like the ADA, which had granted approvals for many of these constructions. Critics argue that stronger oversight and stricter adherence to environmental guidelines could have prevented this situation.
For now, the residents of Agra’s Yamuna floodplain and the developers of these projects face an uncertain future, awaiting further clarity from the government and potential legal proceedings to resolve the matter.
