HARSAC under scanner for ‘helping builders’

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11

The role of the Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC), nodal agency of the Department of Science and Technology for remote sensing and GIS applications, has come under the scanner for allegedly helping builders in encroaching upon a ‘barsati’ nullah in Gurgaon.

Pradeep Kasni, Director General of the department and Director of the HARSAC, has begun an inquiry into the matter following the complaints by environmental activists Vaishali Rana and Sharmila Kaushik.

Vaishali and Sharmila alleged: “We have been telling the authorities for the past four years that builders in Gwal Pahadi area of Gurgaon are infiltrating the nallah (khasra no 86). Our pleas are being ignored. The HARSAC has facilitated manipulations and sham demarcations to favour a builder who is coming up with three 28-storey towers and a commercial building. This can lead to submerging of the area and the damage to life and property in the case of heavy rainfall.” They said based on the “sham” demarcation, the local authorities ordered de-freezing of the buildings that were frozen following five demarcation reports that showed encroachment over the nullah.

“Not only a part of the nallah is being lost, but it is a 27-km-long drain which has been encroached at various points. This will encourage other encroachers, too,” alleged Vaishali.

Vaishali and Sharmila said the authorities did not take a lesson from the recent jams in Gurgaon during rains and were hand in glove with builders.

Notably, this is not the first allegation against the HARSAC for conniving with builders and property dealers and giving reports suited to their interests.

A complaint is pending before the Haryana Lokayukta against the agency allegedly for giving reports favourable to the financial interests of unauthorised colonisers .

However, Sultan Singh, senior scientist at the HARSAC in Gurgaon, denied the allegations.“The HARSAC is only a technical facilitator for the Gurgaon authorities for surveys. The report on demarcation is prepared by the Revenue Department,” he said.