Defying norms, construction along 4-lane roads continues
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, June 1
The state government’s decision to create a 100-metre special zone to regulate haphazard construction along four-lane highways in Himachal Pradesh notwithstanding, the practice of hill-cutting along roads is going on unchecked.
In a decision taken last year, the government had made it mandatory for those wanting to undertake construction activities 100 metres “from the edge of the control width on either side of the four-lane roads” to take the permission from the government agencies like Town and Country Planning Department.
It was also applicable on private land falling under the ‘Four-Lane Planning Area’.
Despite the government order, construction on a large-scale is going on along the four-lane highways, which are under construction in Kangra district. People are buying huge chunks of land along the new alignments of four-lane roads to make a fast buck.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Forest and Environment Departments have been grappling with the problem of the construction along the highways as the law enforcers have failed to tighten noose around the violators.
The HP High Court has also taken up a PIL highlighting the illegal and indiscriminate construction in the hilly areas. The court has directed the government to frame a policy for the conservation, preservation and cutting of hills in consultation with the Department of Environment, Science and Technology and the Pollution Control Board.
A senior officer of the state government said the creation of the 100-metre special zone along the highways was aimed at checking reckless and unscientific cutting of hills for the construction of commercial complexes and other structures.
Permission mandatory for construction
- State government had created 100metre special zone along highways to regulate construction
- HP High Court has also taken up a PIL highlighting the illegal and indiscriminate construction in the hilly areas
