E-Paper
Green belts being used as parking spaces in Ludhiana: NGT forms joint committee, seeks report in 15 days
Council of Engineers had filed a petition against the alleged conversion of green belts into parking spaces by Lodhi Club, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, and the Ludhiana municipal corporation
Acting on a petition filed by the Council of Engineers against the alleged conversion of green belts into parking spaces by Lodhi Club, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, and the municipal corporation (MC), the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the constitution of a joint committee, which shall inspect the site and submit a report regarding the same within 15 days.
The joint committee will include the regional officer of ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF and CC), deputy commissioner, MC commissioner and representative of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
In the order dated November 7, the tribunal has directed that the report should also be submitted with the statutory authorities and action should be taken as per the norms within 15 days if anomalies are found at the site by the joint committee.
President of the engineers’ body Kapil Arora said even the MC has constructed a library in the green belt near Manju cinema and also green belts, alongside the roads from Jagraon bridge till Sherpur chowk, are being used for parking.
“A number of complaints have been submitted with the civic body about the green belts being used as parking sites by Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School and Lodhi Club, but to no avail. Despite rising pollution levels and reduced green cover in the city, the civic body is not taking action against these violations, following which we moved the tribunal,” said Arora.
MC junior engineer (horticulture wing) Kirpal Singh said they had not yet received the copy of any orders officially and could not comment on the same without inspecting the site.
