NGT stays ‘encroachment’ on Buddha Nullah banks
This came after the Public Action Committee (PAC) filed a petition pertaining to narrowing of Buddha Nullah amid ongoing constructions within the width of the stream bed.
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The NGT’s principal bench is suo motu examining the case of alleged large-scale tree felling for the 111-km-long Kanwar Marg. (File Photo)
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stay order against illegal construction, and formed a committee to verify encroachments along Ludhiana’s polluted stream Buddha Dariya, also known as Buddha Nullah.
This came after the Public Action Committee (PAC) filed a petition pertaining to narrowing of Buddha Nullah amid ongoing constructions within the width of the stream bed.
The petitioners — Er Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira — told the bench: “We had served a notice to the Water Resources Department (WRD) principal secretary, Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), and other departments on May 31 to stop the narrowing of the natural waterbody as it would lead to floods in adjoining localities and damage the ecology of Buddha Nullah.
Further, such constructions would result in the overflow of toxic effluents (mixture of industrial chemicals and sewage) of Buddha Nullah in adjoining colonies, which may lead to the spread of deadly diseases like cholera, typhoid, and malaria among others. We had also cited directions of the Supreme Court and NGT in our notice. However, the Corporation continued to construct an RCC (reinforced cement concrete) wall on the bed of Buddha Nullah, resulting in a decrease in the bed width from 58′ to 35′ at points i.e. by 40%. Keeping in view the irresponsible behavior of the Commissioner, we moved the NGT immediately.”
Engineer Jaskirat Singh, also a PAC member, said the WRD principal secretary — who is the custodian of Buddha Nullah — “failed to prevent encroachments” at the initial stage, resulting in “sheer wastage of crores of public money” spent on such illegal constructions. “If the Department acted responsibly, a project with such major environmental violations would have not started. But, people in such high posts are not performing their duties properly,” Singh said.
The bench, directing the Ludhiana district magistrate to ensure no illegal constructions take place in or near the water body, has set the next hearing on October 14 this year.
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