Petition filed before Green Tribunal to prevent axing of trees along minor canal

The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the respondents, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Forest Department and the Irrigation Department of Punjab, in connection with a petition filed by the Public Action Committee. The petition pertains to final approval for modernisation/ concrete lining of minor canal (Ayali Khurd to Fatehpur Awana-backside of illegal restaurants constructed along Sidhwan Canal) for forestry to non-forestry purposes as given by the ministry.

The matter of illegally constructed restaurants-cum-banquet halls is already with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to take action on the complaint within three months, out of which more than two months have already passed. “Now we came to know about the final approval given for modernisation/concrete lining of the distributary (also known as minor canal) for which more than 250 trees are likely to be axed by going against the notification issued by the Government of Punjab vide which it is mandatory to maintain a green strip of 10 meters along minor bodies outside municipal limits of districts in Punjab,” said PAC member Kapil Arora.

“Now since the final approval has been given by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, we immediately filed the petition with NGT to prevent the axing of trees. The number of trees to be axed as well as for compulsory afforestation is also not mentioned in the copy of final approval,” said PAC members.

It is pertinent to mention here that the impugned portion of minor canal is situated outside the MC limits of Ludhiana and is the only dense pocket of forest within the urban area of Ludhiana with trees situated within a distance of 10 metre from the minor canal.

Dr Amandeep Singh Bains and engineer Vikas Arora further said that the impugned portion of minor canal is just 1.15 km in length and is situated towards the rear side of illegally constructed restaurants- cum-banquet halls. Such proposal was sent to the Forest Department by the Irrigation Department and it seems that the Irrigation Department wants to benefit these restaurants and banquet halls illegally as they lack sewerage disposal system and to provide such provision in an illegal manner, they prepared the proposal by going against the notification issued by the Government of Punjab.

The petitioners further added that after hearing the matter, the NGT has issued notice to the respondents with directions to file their reply at least one week before the next date of hearing fixed for January 31, 2025.