Save Patiala Ki Rao: High Court

GMADA and Nayagaon NAC on Thursday filed their affidavits in the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a resident of Nada village.

While GMADA has identified 124 encroachments on the Patiala Ki Rao,Nayagaon NAC has identified 482 encroachments. All these encroachments are houses and farmhouses unauthorisedly constructed by private parties. GMADA and NAC have issued notices to owners of the properties asking them to explain as to why their properties be not demolished.

This was told to a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice R K Jain. Taking strong note of this,the division bench asked the authorities to save Patiala Ki Rao. Giving a comparison,the High Court remarked that another seasonal rivulet in Nayagaon and Sukhna lake had also dried up because of the encroachments made by people.

The counsel for a society in Nayagaon on Thursday contended that the claims made by the petitioner were incorrect as the revenue map does not show Patiala Ki Rao. The bench asked the Mohali Deputy Commissioner and GMADA Additional Administrator to furnish the details of land falling in Patiala Ki Rao as per the revenue map. The authorities have been directed to physically inspect the spot,demarcate the land and submit a status report.

Earlier in May this year,the High Court had stayed all kinds of constructions on Patiala Ki Rao passing through Nada village,Nayagaon and Karoran. The High Court,on the last date of hearing,had also directed the Mohali district administration to submit a status report about illegal constructions made on the said area.

Advocate Mohinder Kumar,counsel for the petitioner,had submitted that a large number of encroachments had been made in the rivulet that blocked its natural course. He had sought directions to remove encroachments and demolish illegal constructions.

The petitioner had further stated that the said area was a forestland but the same had been delisted through a notification made on August 13,2010 and thereafter,some influential persons and the land mafia active in the area had carved out the illegal colony.

The authorities have been directed to submit the report by September 20.