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Engineers’ body serves notice to Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT)
Engineers’body president Kapil Arora said a large number of residents have encroached upon the area outside their shops in the market and rather than taking action against the encroachments, the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) authorities have reduced the park area, which is against the norms
Slamming the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) authorities for allegedly reducing the space allocated to the park at Gol market, Model Town, the Council of Engineers served a notice to the local bodies department’s principal secretary and deputy commissioner-cum-LIT chairman, urging them to take corrective steps.
Rueing the damage done to the environment with around 20% of the park area being taken away and numerous trees getting axed for renovation of the park and a parking project nearby, the engineers’ body said they will be forced to move the National Green Tribunal (NGT) if proper action is not taken.
They also raised questions over the quality of work being taken up to renovate the park, saying the board with details of the project is missing from the site despite it being made mandatory for the contractors to install the same.
President Kapil Arora said a large number of residents have encroached upon the area outside their shops in the market and rather than taking action against the encroachments, the LIT authorities have reduced the park area, which is against the norms.
Arora further said they will approach the NGT if the authorities fail to take corrective steps in seven days, adding that Ludhiana being one of the most polluted cities of the world needed the green cover.
Refuting the allegations, councillor Parvinder Lapran, said the area of the park has been reduced for beautification and trees will be planted at the reduced portion (around 4 feet) also.
LIT executive engineer Jagdev Singh, meanwhile, said the decision to reduce the area of park was taken to save the trees that would have had to be axed if the boundary was to be developed at the same site. The work at the site has been stopped for now and will be restarted only after getting the nod of market association and the public representatives, he added.
The LIT had commenced the work to renovate the park in the month of December last year. A combined project of around ₹1.5 crore was initiated to renovate and develop eight parks in the area.
MLA raises questions over quality of work
Notably, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kulwant Sidhu had recently raised questions over the quality of work being done to renovate the park.
Sidhu had at the time directed authorities to check the quality of interlocking tiles and other material being used by the contractor.
