Won’t ease norms on green belt construction: NGT

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 8

Ruling out the possibility of relaxing the ban on construction in the 17 green belts of the town, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the state government for failing to get a study of the carrying capacity of Shimla hills done so as to assess if any more construction can be allowed.

In its order passed on September 30, 2015, the NGT has taken a serious note of the fact that despite its earlier orders asking the state government to get a carrying capacity study of Shimla completed, nothing had been done even after a year. “This exercise (study) has not been done till today though more than a year has gone by. Today again nothing is placed on record,” the order reads.

By way of one last opportunity, the NGT has granted one week’s time to the state government to comply with the one-year-old orders. “In the event of default, despite passing of stringent orders, the tribunal will constitute an independent special committee to conduct the study,” the September 30 order reads. It clearly stated that till the next date of hearing, the prohibitory orders with regard to construction in Shimla would continue to operate.

The order was passed by Chairperson of the NGT Justice Swatanter Kumar and judicial member Justice MS Nambiar. The two expert members included Dr DK Agrawal and Prof AR Yousuf. The application has been filed by Yogendra Mohan Sengupta, seeking continuation of the ban on the 17 green belts of the town which was imposed by the state government in December 2000 as now ball has been set rolling to grant some relaxation in this regard.

It was on May 30, 2015 that the NGT had restrained the Shimla Municipal Corporation and the state government from raising or permitting any construction in the 17 green belts of the town notified on December 7, 2000.

In its order, the NGT had directed the authorities to get a study of the carrying capacity of Shimla done to assess the impact of further density of sewage system, water supply, collection and disposal of municipal solid waste, transportation and environment ecology.

The NGT had reiterated its directions to the state government to comply with its orders even on September 1, 2015. The NGT in its order mentioned the two studies conducted by Shimla Municipal Corporation and the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, which show that there should be no construction not just in the green belts but even in the nearby open areas.

“One of the main cited reasons is that Shimla has already gone much beyond its carrying capacity. The environmental and ecological consequences are seen in day today life,” the NGT observed. It observed that these reports indicated that stringent steps are required to be taken by the concerned authorities immediately.