Residents of Vasant Kunj, most of them senior citizens, held a sit-in at Jantar Mantar on the afternoon of November 30 against the construction of three multi-storey ultra-luxury towers on the morphological ridge. They argued that the project will worsen pollution in the area and affect nearly 2,500 children studying in a nearby school.
In a statement issued the same day, the Residents Welfare Association of Sector B, Pocket 1, said the plot lies within the South Central Morphological Ridge as certified by the Department of Forests and Wildlife, government of NCT of Delhi. “Ridge is the green lungs of Delhi, and its preservation is vital to any attempt at improving Delhi’s AQI,” the RWA said.
Residents have been opposing the project since 2024, alleging violations of the Delhi Development Authority regulations for the development of privately owned land. They also pursued legal action, but the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee approved the towers and recommended final approval to the court.
“They are constructing a nine-floor tower with three floors of underground parking. We stay in the same vicinity where this construction will go on, and the majority of the residents in our area are senior citizens and children. Even kids four or five years of age have started having breathing issues,” said 42-year-old Aby Johnson, general secretary of the RWA. He said the ridge is a public asset, and allowing the project would amount to privatisation of the ridge.
Another resident said those who have lived in the locality for 25 to 30 years and are now in their seventies are already bearing the impact of construction-related pollution.
“Most of us already suffer from health issues like asthma, arthritis and pulmonary hypertension. Now the increase in pollution due to construction activity will only aggravate these health concerns,” said 75-year-old Rita Kathuria, who has lived there for three decades. She said another colony is being created inside an existing colony.
Residents also raised ecological concerns. “Before the blue tin cover across the construction site was put, the area used to be frequently visited by parrots and peacocks. Now we barely see them even in the morning,” said 55-year-old interior designer Reshma Ahuja.
Earlier, DDA and MCD had said that the construction of the towers is as per the sanctioned building plan and in accordance with the law and no violation of masterplan has been found.
When asked, the builder Rohit Sejwal said they have approval from all the government agencies. “These agencies have already attached all the required affidavits for the project in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee,” Sejwal said.