Green belt to become public park
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Sept 7 — There is good news for residents of the sectors around the industrial area falling in Sector 58 here as the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) plans to convert the green belt in the area into a public park.

Apparently taking a cue from the popularity of the leisure valley developed in Sector 62 here, PUDA has drawn up a plan to convert the available green patches into public parks. An area of about 80 acres would ultimately be brought under the proposed park.

The move said officials of PUDA would help in checking encroachments in the area, besides acting as boon for the residents of the neighbouring sectors who have been demanding public parks for strolling. The green belt around the industrial area has more than 300 trees of mango, neem, poplar, alstonia and quite a few other species.

In fact the residents of Sector 55 (Phase 1) have been urging the PUDA authorities to convert the green belt adjoining the Ranbaxy factory into a public park. Mr N.S. Rai, a resident of Sector 55, said that due to the construction of dwelling units no open space in the sector had been left for parks. Moreover, no major public park existed in Sectors 59 and 56.

Sources in PUDA said that a threat of encroachment upon the green belt always existed. Moreover, fencing around the green belt was removed by people using the area as a thoroughfare.

Initially PUDA plans to convert about five acres falling between Sectors 55 and 58 into a park.

Sources say that about two years ago the maintenance of the green belt was handed over to the Ranbaxy factory. Mr N.S. Rai, President of the House Owners Welfare Association, Sector 55, says that factory officials while talking to a delegation of the association in June had expressed their inability to maintain the green belt. Moreover, the green belt was lying in a state of neglect.

In the second phase, other parts of the green belt facing Sectors 59 and 56 would be converted into a public park.

The estimates for carrying out development work were being prepared, officials say.

Home gardening tips

* The fruit drop in kinnow is imminent due to many reasons — tendency of the tree to do so, harmonal imbalance and due to pathological cause.

* Shedding of extra load by the kinnow tree on its own, is good for the health of the tree and for the next year’s crop. Do not worry.

* If the dropped fruit shows yellowing at the stalk end when even the whole fruit is green, the cause is pathological. Spray bavistin one gram to a litre of water at 15 days interval.

* For checking pre-harvest fruit drop (when the fruit has no yellowing or rotting sign at the stalk end). Spray 2,4-D (sodium salt of horticultural grade) now. Consult an expert for this as making the spray solution needs expert handling.

* Last week of September or first week of October is the best time for sowing garlic. So get prepared.

* You will need nearly one and half kg of garlic segments for sowing one marla plot (25 square metre).

* Sow the cloves (segments) three to five centimetre deep into the soil with 15 cm between we rows and 7.5 c.m plants in the row.

— Satish Narula