Commercial projects come up along canal instead of buffer zone, PAC issues notice
After noticing major violations by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA), Forest Department, MC, Ludhiana, and GLADA by not creating a green buffer zone of 30 m along the Sidhwan Canal but instead of permitting the axing of trees standing even on public places for development of private projects, the Public Action Committee (PAC) has served notice to all departments, including MoEF&CC and DC, Ludhiana, with a demand for immediate demarcation of 30-m green buffer zone along with planting saplings of trees.
The permission for axing of trees was taken from the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chandigarh.
The PAC has given 15 days’ time to initiate necessary steps, failing which it will move the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for redressal of legitimate grievances.
The notification for development of the 30-m green strip as buffer zone, dated October 18, 2018, has asked for Zoning Regulations and Development Controls for Master Plans in the state and was issued by the Department of Town and Country Planning, Housing and Urban Development, Punjab.
Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, member of the PAC, while serving the notice, said as per Zoning Regulations and Development Controls for Master Plans in Punjab, it was crystal clear that minimum 5-m wide green strips on each side of minor water bodies/drains should be maintained on the portion, falling within the existing municipal limits and 10 m on the portion falling outside the limits.
Other major water bodies such as rivers/major canals, etc, should have minimum 30-m green strips on each side in the portion falling within as well as outside the existing MC limits.
In these green strips, golf course, sports and recreational activities shall be permissible, with 2 per cent ground coverage for construction of offices, booths serving snacks/milk booths, library, etc.
The Sidhwan Canal, one of major canals of the state takes off from Nilo Nehar and passes through Sahnewal, Harnampura and crosses the municipal limits of Ludhiana at the Lohara bridge to Fatehpur Awana and further goes to Isewal village onwards towards downstream. There is a no construction zone of 5 meters within the MC limits and 30 m outside the limits along the canal.
“After the notification issued by the Department of Town and Country Planning, Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, instead of development of a green buffer zone along the Sidhwan Canal, permission was given to axe large number of trees for the development of commercial projects such as restaurants, market plazas, etc,” Bains said.
Another member of the PAC, Kapil Arora, said all such axing had been allowed not only for the entrance of such projects but for the entire frontage of the projects, which means the permission given for axing was solely to give wrongful advantage to the projects, which was against the environment as well as the notification issued by the state government.
15 days’ time given
The PAC has given 15 days’ time to initiate necessary steps to the departments concerned, failing which it will move the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for redressal of legitimate grievances.
