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Ludhiana’s green spaces under threat, says residents’ body
In a complaint submitted to the principal secretary of the local bodies department, PAC members urged immediate intervention, warning that if action is not taken within three weeks, they will approach the NGT
Raising concern over the shrinking green spaces in the city, the Public Action Committee (PAC) has given a complaint to the Ludhiana municipal corporation and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) for allegedly constructing buildings within city’s greenbelts, highlighting a complete violation of Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders.
In a complaint submitted to the principal secretary of the local bodies department, PAC members urged immediate intervention, warning that if action is not taken within three weeks, they will approach the NGT.
PAC member Kuldeep Singh Khaira pointed out that Ludhiana, already battling with critical pollution levels, continues to lose its green lungs due to unchecked construction. “There is already a scarcity of parks in the older parts of the city and in many unplanned colonies. Despite this, greenbelts are being encroached upon under the nose of MCL and LIT,” he said.
Social activists Kapil Arora and Gurpreet Singh Plaha said that similar illegal constructions had earlier been ordered for demolition, including the MC Zone-D extension building, which was razed following NGT directions. “Even after clear orders, public funds are being used for fresh constructions in green zones, be it the Barewal Awana park area, the dog park in BRS Nagar, or a library structure in Janta Nagar. It shows that authorities are ignoring legal precedents and environmental concerns,” said Arora.
PAC members Jaskirat Singh and Preet Dhanao said that repeated complaints on the mSewa App and to various departments had gone unanswered. “Green areas are being sacrificed for unapproved construction, and the money spent is ultimately coming out of public pocket. It should be recovered from the officials who gave such illegal approvals,” they added.
The PAC strongly emphasised that such actions go against the spirit of sustainable development. “Instead of working towards environmental protection, these authorities seem more interested in pleasing political interests,” said the members.
