NEW DELHI: Residents of Alaknanda have filed a PIL questioning clearances given to a mall likely to come up in the cramped residential area of Alaknanda. The mall, spread over 7.3 lakh sq ft, is a commercial project of Reliance Eminent Trading and Commercial Pvt Ltd.

This 3.6 acre-plot was allegedly meant for a sports and community centre, but the Delhi Development Authority sold it on a freehold basis for Rs 304 crore, a source said.

The litigants—from a registered body called Citizens’ Alliance—are not just from Alaknanda but also from CR Park, DDA flats in Kalkaji, NRI Complex and GK-II. “Around 2,000 residents wrote to LG Najeeb Jung but we received no response. Has anyone considered how much air pollution will be caused by the mall? And why should the residents be exposed to it?” asked a member of the alliance.

In the petition, residents have pointed out several discrepancies like DDA allegedly creating a “fictitious” road on map to justify how traffic can flow in the area once the mall comes up; violation of master plan; no ground-level air pollution study by the environment ministry to assess its impact on air quality, etc.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notices to DDA, DUAC, State level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, National Disaster Management Authority and others. The case will next be heard on January 15, 2014.

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