Ludhiana MC putting concrete around trees, engineers’ council writes to NGT

A member of the engineers’ council says they have requested the NGT to direct MC officials to remove the concrete and paver blocks fixed within one metre of trunks of trees to save them from perishing

Slamming the civic body for damaging the green cover in the city by pouring concrete around trees, the Council of Engineers (CoE) has filed a complaint with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the officials concerned of the municipal corporation (MC).

Concrete stuffed around trees outside the office of the municipal corporation in Ludhiana. (HT PHOTO)

A complaint has also been forwarded to the Punjab chief secretary and the additional chief secretary of the local government department.

CoE president Kapil Arora said the MC was continuously covering the area around trees with cement concrete and fixing interlocking tiles over it without consulting horticulture experts about its ill-effects on trees.

Both sides of roads are being covered with cement concrete and paver blocks without leaving any breathing space around trees and this practice has not only resulted into preventing the rainwater to penetrate into the earth’s surface, but it will also act as slow poison for trees and plants.

The same situation can be witnessed in front of Zone-D of the MC at Sarabha Nagar, BRS Nagar, Kitchlu Nagar, Tagore Nagar, etc. By doing so, the MC is not only wasting public money, but also creating an unhealthy environment for residents as well.

A member of the CoE, Mohit Jain, said the concrete layer around a tree may damage it completely. Instead of planting new trees, the MC seems to be not interested in saving existing trees also, he added.

He said in 2013, the NGT had directed the Delhi civic agencies to leave one-metre ‘katcha’ radius around trees and the agency failing to comply with the norm would face a fine of ₹10,000 per tree.

Keeping in view of same, he said, “We have requested the chairperson of NGT, the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Additional Chief Secretary of local government department to direct the officials concerned of the MC to remove the concrete and paver blocks fixed within one metre of trunks of existing trees (under the guidance of technical experts and horticulturists to avoid any damage to roots of trees).