Public Action Committee cracks whip over green norms violations on Ludhiana-Kharar stretch of National Highway-5.

Time of India

a day ago

Ludhiana: The Public Action Committee (PAC) on Wednesday served notice to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the forest department, and others for "blatant violation" of
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) norms regarding development of green areas along the national highway from Ludhiana to Kharar (NH-5).
Besides NHAI and the state forest department, PAC also served a legal notice to the ministry of road transport and highways (MORTH) and the chief town planner of the department of country and town planning, Punjab, against such violations of NGT directions, the Green Highway Policy of 2015, and the IRC Code for the development of green areas along the same national highway, also known as Chandigarh Road.
Engineer Kapil Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains of PAC said the development of the 4-6 lane Chandigarh Road started in 2016-17, and a major portion was completed by 2021-22 with a capital cost of more than Rs 2000 crore.
They added that there was no construction zone of 30 metres along the national highway outside MC limits and five metres within MC limits in Punjab since 1995, and such areas were to be developed as greenbelts by planting saplings.
"However, many commercial outlets near Kohara, Morinda, and Khamano have come up in the recent past without leaving adequate space for plantation, and the NHAI as well as the forest department, both allowed 100% wide access to such commercial and industrial buildings.
Further, many buildings have come up within 30 metres in active connivance with NHAI and the forest department," they alleged.
Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Engineer Jaskirat Singh said the NGT had already directed the NHAI to plant trees within 30 metres from the end of the right of way along all national highways, and the forest department had been made the nodal agency to maintain green areas. "It was mandatory for the NHAI to acquire land for necessary plantation, but failed to do so, resulting in a gross violation of green norms.
Though the NHAI planted saplings in some stretches, the width of the strip is also much less than 30 metres," they added.
They also alleged that new projects were being developed on this national highway, and a 5.50-metre-wide service lane was to be developed along the national highway, for which a large number of old trees and newly planted saplings by the NHAI had been felled. The PAC members further alleged that the entire front width of such projects had been cleared of existing trees, and the areas were being developed as lawns, which is also against the directions of the National Green Tribunal.
Preet Dhanoa and Colonel Jasjit Singh Gill alleged that despite knowing about the directions by the NGT, the Green Highway Policy, and the provisions of the IRC Code, the town planning department of Punjab was deliberately approving plans with service lanes within 30 metres, whereas there was ample space available outside the change of land use (CLU) boundary of these projects, which could have been used for the development of the service road.
They claimed that with more projects in the future, saplings planted by the NHAI and the forest department would be axed too for the service road.
"Thus, the NHAI and the forest departments are giving permission for the construction of service lanes by going against the NGT directions and green norms," they alleged. The PAC members added that as per Clause 1.4 of IRC-SP-21:2009, to ensure the availability of sufficient width for avenue plantation, the requirement of land for tree plantation should be assessed and included in the land acquisition plans prepared for a highway widening project.
They added that the NHAI failed to acquire the land for plantation, which was mandatory as per IRC norms.
"Accordingly, we have served notice upon all authorities to act within the next 15 days to clear the encroachments done by commercial outlets/eatery points within a 30-metre distance from the NH and start planting saplings of native trees thereafter. Further, as a precautionary principle, the town planning department must act and redesign the service lane to protect the remaining trees as well as the saplings planted by the NHAI," PAC said, adding that in case no action was initiated in the next 15 days, it would move the NGT with a plea to impose environment compensation on the NHAI as well as for sustainable development.