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Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PAC issues legal notice to authorities over illegal constructions on green areas in Ludhiana
LUDHIANA : A group of environmental activists has issued a legal notice to senior city authorities, accusing them of violating court orders systematically by encroaching upon greenbelts and parks in one of the country's most polluted cities. The Public Action Committee (PAC) on Thursday served the notice to the principal secretary of the local bodies department, the municipal corporation of Ludhiana, and the Improvement Trust (LIT), warning of legal action in the National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) if construction on protected green spaces is not halted and reversed within three weeks. Activists Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains said the city faced an "acute shortage" of green areas, in the densely populated old city particularly and unauthorised new colonies. "Instead of addressing the crisis, authorities are worsening it — building over parks and greenbelts in blatant violation of Supreme Court and NGT rulings," they alleged. They further claimed these encroachments are happening in "active connivance" with agencies such as MCL and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA). Other PAC members, including Kapil Arora and Gurpreet Singh Plaha, said that despite previous demolition orders, including one for the MC's Zone-D extension building and another for a library built in a park on Old GT Road, similar projects continued unchecked. "The pattern is clear: habitual defiance of legal orders," said Arora. "It appears officials are more interested in appeasing politicians than upholding the law." Citing current violations, the activists named fresh constructions underway at Old GT Road, Barewal Awana, BRS Nagar's Dog Park, and Janta Nagar's library park — all allegedly funded with public money. Activist Jaskirat Singh said multiple complaints filed through the Punjab govt's m-Sewa platform have gone unanswered. "These departments are a threat to sustainable urban development. They're not managing a single environmental project properly and are wasting taxpayer funds," he said, demanding that the cost of illegal constructions be recovered from the officials who authorised them. The PAC has demanded restitution of greenbelts and parks, warning it will escalate the matter to the NGT if no corrective action is taken within 21 days. MSID:: 121362354 413 |
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PAC issues legal notice to authorities over illegal constructions on green areas in Ludhiana
Ludhiana: A group of environmental activists has issued a legal notice to senior city authorities, accusing them of violating court orders systematically by encroaching upon greenbelts and parks in one of the country's most polluted cities. The Public Action Committee (PAC) on Thursday served the notice to the principal secretary of the local bodies department, the municipal corporation of Ludhiana, and the Improvement Trust (LIT), warning of legal action in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) if construction on protected green spaces is not halted and reversed within three weeks. Activists Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains said the city faced an "acute shortage" of green areas, in the densely populated old city particularly and unauthorised new colonies. "Instead of addressing the crisis, authorities are worsening it — building over parks and greenbelts in blatant violation of Supreme Court and NGT rulings," they alleged. They further claimed these encroachments are happening in "active connivance" with agencies such as MCL and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA). Other PAC members, including Kapil Arora and Gurpreet Singh Plaha, said that despite previous demolition orders, including one for the MC's Zone-D extension building and another for a library built in a park on Old GT Road, similar projects continued unchecked. "The pattern is clear: habitual defiance of legal orders," said Arora. "It appears officials are more interested in appeasing politicians than upholding the law." Citing current violations, the activists named fresh constructions underway at Old GT Road, Barewal Awana, BRS Nagar's Dog Park, and Janta Nagar's library park — all allegedly funded with public money. Activist Jaskirat Singh said multiple complaints filed through the Punjab govt's m-Sewa platform have gone unanswered. "These departments are a threat to sustainable urban development. They're not managing a single environmental project properly and are wasting taxpayer funds," he said, demanding that the cost of illegal constructions be recovered from the officials who authorised them. The PAC has demanded restitution of greenbelts and parks, warning it will escalate the matter to the NGT if no corrective action is taken within 21 days. MSID:: 121362354 413 | Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana's green spaces under threat, says residents' body
Raising concern over the shrinking green spaces in the city, the Public Action Committee (PAC) has given a complaint to the Ludhiana municipal corporation and Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) for allegedly constructing buildings within city's greenbelts, highlighting a complete violation of Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders. In a complaint submitted to the principal secretary of the local bodies department, PAC members urged immediate intervention, warning that if action is not taken within three weeks, they will approach the NGT. PAC member Kuldeep Singh Khaira pointed out that Ludhiana, already battling with critical pollution levels, continues to lose its green lungs due to unchecked construction. 'There is already a scarcity of parks in the older parts of the city and in many unplanned colonies. Despite this, greenbelts are being encroached upon under the nose of MCL and LIT,' he said. Social activists Kapil Arora and Gurpreet Singh Plaha said that similar illegal constructions had earlier been ordered for demolition, including the MC Zone-D extension building, which was razed following NGT directions. 'Even after clear orders, public funds are being used for fresh constructions in green zones, be it the Barewal Awana park area, the dog park in BRS Nagar, or a library structure in Janta Nagar. It shows that authorities are ignoring legal precedents and environmental concerns,' said Arora. PAC members Jaskirat Singh and Preet Dhanao said that repeated complaints on the mSewa App and to various departments had gone unanswered. 'Green areas are being sacrificed for unapproved construction, and the money spent is ultimately coming out of public pocket. It should be recovered from the officials who gave such illegal approvals,' they added. The PAC strongly emphasised that such actions go against the spirit of sustainable development. 'Instead of working towards environmental protection, these authorities seem more interested in pleasing political interests,' said the members.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Drowning of 2 boys in Buddha Dariya: PAC seeks registration of FIR
Ludhiana: After two boys drowned in an under-construction bathing ghat near Ram Das Nagar, activists of the Public Action Committee (PAC), Mattewara, raised questions about public safety and demanded accountability in the case. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Calling for registration of an FIR against those responsible, they urged authorities to check whether these ghats were fit for bathing, as similar incidents could occur in the member Kuldeep Singh Khaira, said, "The most unfortunate incident involving the drowning of two young boys of Ludhiana in Buddha Dariya needs a very quick and high-level investigation after registration of FIR." He questioned how the government allowed such ghats next to outlets of CETPs and which officials gave permissions. He also questioned the need for such ghats when the primary demand was stopping of industrial effluents and asked whether any safety audits were carried out. He also asked why no FIR had been registered so far and who was responsible for the two Kapil Dev and Jaskirat Singh said that the ghats did not serve a practical purpose. They claimed that the state government had made the ghats to take credit for making Buddha Dariya pollution-free without addressing the root cause of the problem. On one hand, the govt is not following NGT orders despite multiple reminders by the green tribunal to stop illegal CETPs. On the other hand, they are in a rush to create such structures, which have nothing to do with cleaning the a direct attack on environmentalist, MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, activist Dr Amandeep Bains said, "Baba Seechewal is continuing with his unscientific ways, which can be harmful and dangerous. The news of children drowning at his ghats has not deterred him. He has started removing sludge from the Tibba Road area. Flow of industrial effluents has not been stopped, three CETPs of the dyeing industry are still spewing chemicals, and Seechewal is removing sludge and opening recharge channels of the river. What kind of water will recharge to the ground? Will it not be industrial effluents that will percolate down into the groundwater of Ludhiana? Who will take responsibility for that?" However, supporters of MP Seechewal maintained that no one was supposed to bathe in the ghat, which was still under construction. They claimed that they were still levelling the drain at that point so that people could bathe there without issues. Meanwhile, cleaning of the drain at Tajpur Road continued on Monday as per the daily Attacks CM MannActivists condemned CM Bhagwant Mann's claim that PAC was slamming Buddha Dariya activists for doing nothing on the issue of "water theft" by BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) and Haryana. They claimed that the CM had questioned their absence at the dharna he was holding at Nangal against the BBMB chairman. They maintained that they had already issued statements in support of the rights of Punjab on its waters. The activists said that their team was contesting multiple NGT cases against the Punjab government, including those of illegal CETPs of the Ludhiana dyeing industry and illegal reverse boring by Malbros at Zira. They said that the CM and state government were not following NGT orders to shut down illegal CETPs of the dyeing industry. MSID:: 121110630 413 |
