Mohali: Green belt to come up on land acquired for scrapped Dashmesh Link Canal project

The 73-acre land acquired for since-scrapped Dashmesh Link Canal in Mohali will now be developed as a green belt and jogging park at a cost of ₹4 crore.

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had acquired the land, spread across Chilla Khurd village and Raipur Kalan in Sectors 80 to 106, in 2013. But the Supreme Court had put a stay on the canal project in July 2017.

Ever since some farmers had been using parts of the land for agricultural purpose. GMADA recently reclaimed the land and its civil engineering department has started fencing the area.

GMADA chief administrator Amandeep Bansal said, “We are in process of converting the said land into a green belt, which will comprise a jogging park with multiple trees and flowering plants. It will serve as the green lungs of the city by providing people with a clean and healthy environment.”

GMADA’s urban forest project back on track

Meanwhile, GMADA’s urban forest project in Sector 97 is also back on track, with the authority deciding to develop it without a water body, cutting the project cost by ₹12 crore.

Earlier, in April this year, GMADA had stalled the project to review its viability and consider change of site.

GMADA had originally procured the land at UniWorld City, Sector 97, from Unitech Builders around 10 years ago to develop a city park.

However, in March last year, it proposed the development of a first-of-its-kind 35-acre forest area, which entailed plantation of varieties of trees, both medicinal and others, at the cost of ₹32 crore, instead of building a city park.

A senior officer of GMADA said, “The forest will be developed without a water body, which will bring the cost down to around ₹20 crore. It will be a green area with some trees, a jogging park and plants. It will be a dedicated green belt to mark a shift from city parks.”