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Tribune Impact
Chandigarh’s Shame: N-Choe
HC issues notice to UT Administration
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 6
A day after The Tribune raised a big storm about the city’s sanitation going down the drain, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the UT Administration through the Home Secretary on the “N-Choe” issue.

n The news report will be treated as a PIL n April 7 is next date of hearing

Taking suo motu cognisance of a news-report carried in these columns, Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal also asked the administration to specify “steps contemplated to improve the condition of the choe”. The news-report was also directed to be treated as a public interest litigation (PIL).

The Chief Justice observed: “Chandigarh Tribune pullout of The Tribune of Tuesday, April 5, 2010, Chandigarh Edition, on the first page has published a report N-Choe: Stream of Filth with Chandigarh’s Shame as a sub-title thereof.”

“Sanjeev Singh Bariana, author of the report, has drawn attention of the readers to the pitiable condition of N-Choe that originates from behind the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It is further reported that after acquiring repelling look in Sector 10, it becomes sickening in Sector 42 and nauseating near PCA stadium in Mohali. Le Corbusier, who planned the City Beautiful, wanted to retain the water body to keep the residents of the city in contact with nature.”

“The choe is a seasonal rivulet and the water flowing through it without there being rains for long makes one curious about the origin of water flowing through it. The author has taken pains in identifying the places where the sewage enters it through openings in the sewerage system.”

In his detailed two-page order, Chief Justice Mudgal added: “As is reported by the author, it is not that the plight of N-Choe has gone unnoticed so far. The author has noticed a number of representations and reminders claimed to be sent by Major General (retd) Charanjit Panag to the Chandigarh Administration pointing out the condition of the stinking choe.”

“It is also there in the report that on repeated complaints of the residents, General (retd) SF Rodrigues, former Administrator, UT Administration, made a visit to the spot before recommending a sewerage treatment plant. Despite it, the condition of the choe has not improved.”

“If the facts appearing in the report are correct, it certainly deserves to be looked at in this court’s PIL jurisdiction. Therefore, notice be issued to the UT Administration through its Home Secretary for answering the issues raised in the news-item.” Before parting with the order, Justice Mudgal also fixed April 7 as the next date of hearing.