MC, private bodies encroached upon green belt: Engineers’ body tells NGT

LUDHIANA: Members of council of engineers on Saturday filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against “encroachments” in the green belts between Jagraon bridge and Sherpur chowk, and BRS Nagar by the municipal corporation (MC) and private institutes. The members alleged that the civic body was aware of the rules and guidelines but still the officials flouted them.
Council president Kapil Arora said that private institutes in BRS Nagar had made an illegal entrance towards the green belt and had encroached upon the land by fixing interlocking tiles and converting it into a parking area for vehicles.Thus, the prime motive of the land had been changed. Besides encroachments by private bodies, the MC, which is responsible for safeguarding the public property, itself allowed encroachment over the green belts for parking of vehicles from Jagraon Bridge to Sherpur Chowk, it was alleged.
Further, the MC has also encroached upon the land of green belt/park near Manju Cinema by constructing a library building which is against directions of the Supreme Court, he claimed.
Council member Mohit Jain informed that other than the green-belt areas encroached upon by private institutes, a large number of trees are grown in the rest of the green belt. “It is pertinent to mention here that the ‘Master Plan of Ludhiana’ clearly depicts that the land encroached is under green belt,” he said.
Another member, Vikas Arora, claimed the authorities were aware of the law but their silence on such encroachments seemed to be “deliberate and intentional”, thus keeping in view the laws, they have requested the NGT to impose a fine on them and order removal of the interlocking tiles, besides planting of saplings of indigenous trees and shrubs.
An official in horticulture branch said they were to develop the green belt under National Clean Air Programme, and that all the encroachments would sbe removed.