Panel formed to look into alleged encroachments on green belts in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 11

Acting on a petition filed by the Council of Engineers against alleged encroachments on green belts in the city, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had formed a joint committee and directed it to meet within two weeks, visit the site to verify the factual position and submit its report within 15 days. The panel comprises regional officer, MoEF&CC, Chandigarh, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, PPCB and the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana.

Kapil Arora, president, Council of Engineers, had filed a petition before the NGT complaining about encroachments on green belts allegedly by Lodhi Club and Sacred Heart Convent School at BRS Nagar. The council blamed the club and school for opening gate entry as well as converting the green belt area into parking space.

The council had also complained against the MC, Ludhiana, for allowing parking of vehicles after concretisation of huge area of green belts from Jagraon Road to Sherpur Chowk and also for constructing library building in the green belt/park area near Manju Cinema by violating the rules.

Arora said as per the Master Plan of Ludhiana, these lands belong to greenbelts. Another member of the council, Mohit Jain, said the NGT in its orders has held that “The statutory authorities are bound to take remedial action for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution/degradation and for protection and improvement of environment, even without/before filing of any application”.

He said, “The authorities kept silent and allowed illegal parking over greenbelts. Thus, we moved NGT with plea of directions restitution of greenbelts as per statutory provisions.”

The NGT had directed that if in case the joint committee observes any violation of the environmental norms, then it shall forward a copy of its report to the authorities concerned which shall take appropriate remedial action by giving notice to/hearing the persons concerned and following due process of law and shall submit their action taken reports separately within 15 days from the date of receipt of a copy of the report of the joint committee.

Arora added that Ludhiana is already facing an issue of increase in air pollution and the green areas have already been reduced by construction of infrastructure projects like RUB, buildings for static compactors, Suvidha Kendras, etc. “Further, the MC is going to construct around 35 new overhead water tanks in parks in Ludhiana. The conversion of greenbelts into parking space is illegal and against Environment Norms and Article 21 of Constitution of India,” he said.

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#Environment #National Green Tribunal NGT