Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana March 13 In a petition filed against the installation of inter-locking tiles and cement concrete around trees at different locations in the city the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given orders that the Municipal Corporation (MC) Ludhiana GLADA and the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) may take remedial action as per the law. A city resident Kapil Dev had filed the petition before the NGT seeking directions to remove cement concrete around tree bottom/base to ensure open space of 1m around the trees for their necessary growth. He had stated in the application “The Municipal Corporation Ludhiana (MCL) Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authorities (GLADA) as well as Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) are continuing with the practice and working of fixing of solid pavers (inter-locking tiles) around the trees. The base area of trees at ground level is being covered by pouring cement concrete and/or fixing paver tiles resulting in damage to roots of trees.” In his application Kapil had highlighted the NGTs order of year 2013 under which the authorities concerned were ordered to leave 1m radius around trees. In that case (Aditya N Prasad Vs Union of India & Ors of 2013) the NGT had ordered to the authorities concerned to ensure that “the concrete surrounding the trees within 1m of the trees was removed forthwith and all trees were looked after well and due precaution is taken in future so that no concrete or construction or repairing work is done at least within 1m radius of the trunk of trees.” While disposing of the petition filed by Kapil Dev the NGT stated that the tribunal had also dealt with a similar issue in a case (Environment Protection Society (regd) vs State of Punjab) of year 2019 and passed a similar order. Now the NGT ordered “Accordingly the MCL GLADA and LIT may take remedial action in accordance with the law.”

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