Rajasthan HC Asks JDA to Explain Why NEERI-Recommended Drains Near Dravyavati River Remain Unbuilt
A Division Bench at Jaipur directed JDA's counsel to file a response explaining why cement concrete drain channels near Ambawadi, recommended by NEERI, have not been constructed.
The High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan, Bench at Jaipur, on 23 July 2026 directed the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to explain in writing why it has not constructed cement concrete drain channels in the Ambawadi area and surrounding stretches, despite a specific recommendation in the report of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur. The Division Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Bhuwan Goyal, noted that the JDA's inaction has hampered both the flow of water and the protection of the Dravyavati river. The matter arises from D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2905/2024 and has been listed alongside the long-running D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9497/2007 for the next hearing on 12 August 2026.
What the Petitioner Placed Before the Court
Counsel for the petitioner, Mr. Gopal Singh Bareth, drew the Division Bench's attention to page 181 of the NEERI report and to a chart within the report that identified construction works required around the Ambawadi area. The petitioner's case is that despite this technical study, the JDA has chosen not to carry out the prescribed constructions.
The specific areas highlighted were: the Ambawadi locality itself, the stretch prior to Ambawadi, and the corridor between the hills and the road connecting Shastri Nagar to Vidyadhar Nagar. According to the petitioner, the absence of the drain channels in these locations has directly affected the natural flow of water and compromised the protection of the Dravyavati river.
The Court's Direction to JDA
The bench recorded that the JDA has not made constructions despite the NEERI report's recommendations. It directed Mr. Amit Kuri, learned counsel appearing for the JDA, to file a response on the next date of hearing explaining why the cement concrete drain channels have not been constructed in the areas identified by the petitioner — near Ambawadi, prior to Ambawadi, and between the hills and the Shastri Nagar–Vidyadhar Nagar road.
The court did not pass any interim direction ordering construction at this stage. The direction is confined to a written explanation from JDA, which must be placed on record before the next hearing.
Outcome
The Division Bench listed the matter on 12 August 2026, to be heard together with D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9497/2007. JDA's counsel is required to file a response in the interim explaining the non-construction of drain channels in the Ambawadi area and the adjacent stretches along the Dravyavati river.