New Delhi, Mar 8 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to act on a plea alleging encroachment on a pond for construction of the Cultural Centre of Sahitya Kala Parishad in the national capital.

Hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a division bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Neena Bansal Krishna asked the DDA to look into the matter as soon as possible.

"If the encroachment is found, it shall be removed by the authorities in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible and practicable," it said.

As per the petitioner, a resident welfare association, this particular land in Budhela village of west Delhi was in the form of a johad/pond for village people, cattle and flying birds but now has been allotted to the Sahitya Kala Parishad for construction purposes.

In 2002, the authorities took physical possession of the pond of village Budhela, and the petitioner alleged, that the pond land was filled with the soil illegally by the authorities. Several affected people of the village also met the then MLA and made a representation that the DDA and other authorities be stopped from grabbing the land of Johad/Pond, the plea said.