Concretisation of green belts: NGT appoints advocate commissioner

In a matter pertaining to encroachments and concretisation of green belts on Lodhi Club Road as well as Old GT Road, here, the National Green Tribunal has appointed the advocate commissioner to verify facts regarding objections raised by complainants against affidavit submitted by the Municipal Commissioner of Ludhiana.

Engineer Kapil Arora, president of the Council of Engineers, said regarding the issue presence of library building in a park near Dholewal Chowk, the Municipal Commissioner of Ludhiana had submitted an affidavit that the area of park was 1,124 sq yards and only 4 per cent of the area had been used for the construction of the library in it.

“To this, we have submitted objections along with actual area of park, which comes out to be just 350 sq yards, and the same had also been mentioned by the MC in an affidavit filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Thus, the statement of the Municipal Commissioner was not only contrary to its own submission but also an act of trying to mislead the Tribunal,” said Arora.

Further, besides library, the MC has also covered the park area by constructing one statue and laying of interlocking tiles and cement concrete. The actual area of the park covered with concretisation comes out to be 55 per cent. Besides the impugned park, almost 50 per cent of the entire stretch of green belt on old GT Road has been concretised and the remaining part is also being used for illegal commercial activities such as repair workshops, illegal garbage dump and parking of vehicles, which had resulted into major environmental damage and loss of trees.

Er Sanjay Verma, general secretary of Council of Engineers said parking in green belts and parks were prohibited as per notification issued by the state government in 2018 but despite knowing facts, the MC had deliberately ignored the parking of vehicles by Sacred Heart School as well as Lodhi Club.

“We have produced photographs along with GPS location before the Tribunal as evidence of the same. Regarding restitution of park into original shape as per the previous orders of the Tribunal, ie for demolition of the library building, the MC submitted that books were being shifted from the building to comply with the orders,” Verma said.

Arora said keeping in view of objections submitted by them in regard with the false affidavit submitted by the Municipal Commissioner, the Bench ordered appointment of Amit Shukla as the advocate commissioner to visit the locations and verify the facts and submit report before the next date of hearing, scheduled to be held on December 17.