Green tribunal upholds ban on constructions in Shimla

SHIMLA: Hopes of the government to get relaxation in undertaking construction activity in the town were dashed when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday rejected its review petition, upholding its November 16, 2016, order where a ban on all new constructions in the core area was imposed.

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 16

Hopes of the government to get relaxation in undertaking construction activity in the town were dashed when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday rejected its review petition, upholding its November 16, 2016, order where a ban on all new constructions in the core area was imposed.

A battery of senior officials from the Town and Country Planning (TCP) and Urban Development departments were present in the court as the case came up for hearing.

Sources said the government could move the Supreme Court to get relaxation.

The government was keen that its review petition before the NGT be allowed so that it could permit construction activity in the core area of the town. Though the government’s main plea was that almost 52 projects under the Smart City Mission had got hampered, the court did not find merit in the argument.

“We are glad that despite the persistent plea of the government counsel, the NGT rejected the review petition after failing to find any merit in the arguments,” said environmentalist and petitioner Yogendra Mohan Sengupta.

As per the NGT order, a Supervisory Committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, and an Implementation Committee, headed by Director, TCP, were constituted on March 5 this year. The Implementation Committee held four meetings since April, but it has not made any request before the NGT for allowing projects of public utility, a provision made in the NGT order.

“There is now a big question mark on the fate of the satellite city project at Jathia Devi as the NGT order has restricted the constructions to two storeys which will make the project unviable,” said officials.

Court finds no merit in case

The NGT, in its November 16, 2016 order, banned all new constructions in the core area of Shimla
The govt was keen that its petition be allowed so that it could permit construction activity
Though the govt’s plea was that 52 projects under the Smart City Mission had got hampered, the court did not find merit in the argument