'Records Of So Many Lawyers Disappeared, Govt Can't Raise Its Hands': High Court On Flooding Of Delhi Bar Council Office At Siri Fort Area

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (January 21) orally told the municipal and local authorities in the national capital that they cannot simply raise their hands in the matter of water logging at Siri Fort Institutional Area during monsoon season, which led to flooding of Delhi Bar Council office last year.

Justice Sachin Datta orally told the counsel appearing for the government, "Records of more than a (inaudible) lawyers have disappeared...can the authority raise its hands up and say we cant do anything?"

The bench was hearing the petition moved by Bar Council of Delhi, stating that every year during the monsoon season, the roads and parking area located in front of its office and surrounding area get clogged up with muddy and sewage water which leads to public inconvenience, financial losses and becomes a health hazard for the people at Siri Fort Institutional Area.

Statedly, on the intervening night of 27th and 28th June, 2024, BCD office was engulfed by dirty rain water and as a result, there was substantial loss of property. BCD submitted that records of original documents of enrolled Advocates were kept in iron compactors in the basement and these records were completely submerged in water and became irretrievable.

Since the drains in the area fall under jurisdictions of multiple authorities like Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board and Public Works Department, Delhi, the Court had ordered a joint inspection of the area.

Today, the counsel appearing for BCD submitted that the steps stated to have been taken in the reply filed by the MCD were "inadequate". The counsel told the Court that soon after the inspection, fresh flooding happened in the office on 31 July, 2024. "It was not flooding like June but the water did come in..." the counsel submitted, adding that the authorities must be directed to take "permanent steps" in this matter.

The government counsel submitted that the drains were de-silted but gradients of drain are such that if rain is above certain milimeter, then... The counsel then sought that the matter be tagged along with a similar petition filed by one Arpana Caur, whose gallery in the area was flooded and destroyed.

However, Justice Datta was not inclined to tag the matter and orally indicated that if the flooding issue persists, it may restore BCD's (unpressed) prayer for compensation.

The bench has now granted 4 weeks time to BCD to file its reply to the report submitted by MCD.

Case title: BAR COUNCIL OF DELHI v. GNCTD