1 week Ago
Times News Network Ludhiana: Members of the Public Action Committee (PAC) have served a demand notice on the local bodies department and MC for removal of encroachments from lands designated for public parks in Haibowal dairy complex . Activists claimed that they came to know about 36 such parks and green belts, which had been encroached upon, including the land where MC had opened its hot mix plant. They asserted that allowing such encroachments to come up was against the directions of the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal (NGT) and environment laws.
The activists also claimed that the MC was running a hot mix plant in the park in an area surrounded by houses and dairy complex, in violation of guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board. They said that despite the association serving notice on PPCB and MC, the hot mix plant had not been shifted and was adding to the pollution. They claimed that as per directions of the Supreme Court and NGT, the purpose of parks cannot be changed but despite being aware of the facts, the MC had encroached upon and changed the purpose of parks of Haibowal Dairy Complex.
This, they said, resulted in major damage to the environment. They also said that a few parks might have been encroached upon by private persons. Seeking a thorough investigation into the matter, they said that the encroachments must be cleared without delay.
The activists said that if no satisfactory action was taken by authorities within the next 15 days, the association would move NGT for redressal of legitimate grievances and for imposition of environment compensation on the department concerned. Assistant town planner (ATP) Mohan Singh did not respond to queries. In 2020, city-based activist, Rohit Sabharwal sat on a one-day hunger strike to protest against several issues, one of which was encroachments in the dairy complex.
He submitted a memorandum to the Vigilance office, from where civic officials received directions to check the exact number of encroachments. Officials claimed that a survey was carried out in 2017, on the basis of which they checked the dairy complex area again in 2020. Officials claimed that there were at least 45 public parks in the layout plan of the dairy complex but when they checked the spot, they did not find a single park.
They said that dairy farmers had tied cattle or had constructed temporary sheds in the parks but no action had been taken against anyone..
