Green belt at YPS School compromised to ease parking crunch, residents protest

Patiala, June 4

Under the cover of projects of development, the Public Works Department (PWD) is laying interlocking tiles near the YPS School in the city by removing the green belt at the site. This came at a time when temperature in the district has already soared in the summer season.

The district today recorded 40.5 degree Celsius temperature. The Meteorological Department also issued red alert in Punjab.

Amid such severe weather condition when there is a need to grow more trees, the Public Works Department (PWD) has removed the green belt near the Yadavindra Public School (YPS) and instead decided to lay interlocking tiles there. While residents questioned the move, the officials state that there was a need for the same due to rising traffic near the school premises.

There has been a rise in laying of the interlocking tiles across the city. The paver blocks have been installed on nearly all the internal roads in the Officers’ Colony, New Officers’ Colony, and the road connecting Kheri Gujran village to the main city. It has been been turning the city into a concrete structure denuding the area under green belt.

Gurpratap, an 80-year-old resident from the city said, “While the department has not cut the trees, the spaceleft for the green belt has been compromised. They are constructing a footpath for school students and are widening the road to accommodate vehicles. We need proper space for a green belt also.”

Naveen Mittal, XEN, PWD, said, “There was a problem of traffic bottleneck due to which we had to construct a footpath for the residents and students at the site. No tree has been uprooted in this process.” — TNS