The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed authorities concerned to ensure that no further illegal construction takes place on green belts and park areas in Ludhiana after a tribunal-appointed joint committee found construction and other violations at 33 sites under the jurisdiction of the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), municipal corporation (MC) and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT).
The direction was issued by the principal bench of the NGT while hearing an application filed by Public Action Committee member Kapil Dev. The tribunal observed that green areas were required to be protected and directed all concerned official respondents to prevent any further illegal construction in areas designated as green belts or parks.
The matter will be heard again on December 17.
The joint committee inspected all 33 sites and reported several instances of construction in areas earmarked as green belts under approved master plans.
Among the violations identified in areas under GLADA were a Verka booth at a commercial market in Sector 32 on Chandigarh Road, another Verka milk booth near Greenland School in Urban Estate Dugri Phase 2, a shop in a public park at Jamalpur and interlocking tiles laid over a green belt opposite Bal Bharti School on the 200-foot bypass.
The committee also flagged structures reportedly intended for a temple and a mosque in green belt areas along Lower Road in Dugri Phase 1, near the Sidhwan Canal.
{{/usCountry}}The committee also flagged structures reportedly intended for a temple and a mosque in green belt areas along Lower Road in Dugri Phase 1, near the Sidhwan Canal.
{{/usCountry}}The findings relating to the MC were more extensive, with 26 instances listed by the committee. These included library buildings, a PWD building, a commercial vegetable market or vending zone, a health centre and B&R store, structures in parks, commercial milk booths, municipal offices and residential quarters, a Suvidha Centre, PWD construction, interlocking tiles covering a substantial portion of a park, an Aam Aadmi Clinic and a temple under construction.
The committee also reported an illegal garbage dump on a green belt along Old GT Road and structures constructed within park areas at several locations.
The tribunal further noted that the applicant had produced photographs showing that construction activity was continuing in some green areas.
Its direction to prevent any further construction now places the onus on the concerned authorities, including GLADA and the civic bodies, to protect land designated as green belts and parks under approved planning documents.