Cocking a snook at MC norms, hospital continues to flourish

Ishrat S Banwait

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Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 18

Ivy hospital in Sector 5, Mansa Devi Complex, has been running illegally in a seven-storey building for almost a year now.

While the Municipal Corporation has issued multiple notices to the hospital in the past, the hospital not only continues to flout norms but also expanded itself in a disputed land along with multiple other violations. The building plan was submitted in 2006 and the hospital started its operations in May last year.

The violations on various fronts of the hospital came to light when last week the Haryana State Pollution Control Board asked for the MC’s comments on approval of Sewage Treatment Plant at the hospital. In the MC’s reply filed on March 10, it was found that the ownership of the land was disputed and its site plan has not been approved.

A part of the hospital lies in the shamlat land and change of land use regarding the land has not been obtained. The site plan submitted does not match with the actual dimensions of the allocated khasra and unauthorised construction is going on at the site. Other violations include more permissible ground coverage than allowed and almost triple the FAR than allowed.

The hospital site is in multiple violations of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act 1994 and the National Building Code, 2005. However, it has been running a 150 bed hospital with 24- hour services. The pollution control board says that a hospital must have a working STP- ETP plant before it starts running but it did not apply for it then.

The pollution board has already rejected a similar application from the hospital in the past but it applied again. Now the board sent the letter to the MC and has questioned why the MC has not taken any action if there are such violations. Satinder Pal, regional officer at the board says, “We cannot approve the hospital’s request without MC’s permission as the building is in their land. If these violations exist, the head office may prosecute the hospital.”

MC Commissioner Lalit Siwach said, “We have already informed the Urban Local Bodies Department to take action against the hospital and also reverted to the pollution control board with complete details of the violations.”

In December last year, Siwach had sent a notice to the hospital to explain why the hospital should not be sealed. However, the hospital denied that there were any violations. Gurtej Singh, managing director of the hospital, said, “We have always complied with all the norms. This is a rental building and approvals were to be taken by the landlord. The matter is sub judice as the landlord had filed a writ petition in the High Court and we will respect the court’s decision.”

Fact file 

In December last year, MC Commissioner Lalit Siwach had sent a notice to the hospital to explain why the hospital should not be sealed. However, the hospital denied that there were any violations. Gurtej Singh, managing director of the hospital, said, “We have always complied with all the norms. This is a rental building and approvals were to be taken by the landlord. The matter is sub-judice as the landlord had filed a writ petition in the High Court and we will respect the court’s decision.”