Forest Dept issues notice to three city developers, imposes penalty

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, June 13

Taking a strong note of damage caused to plants and trees by making passages for access to illegal colonies on the government land along the Sidhwan canal, the Forest Department has imposed a penalty on three developers of unlicensed and illegal colonies along the canal. The department also served notices on them to remove encroachments within 21 days.

The notices read

In the notices served upon the violators, it has been stated that as per a government notification, all lands along canals, Railway lines and other water bodies were ‘deemed forests’ and vested with the Forest Department. Any activity related to non-forestry on this land was in contravention of the provisions made under the Indian Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act with the imposition of penalty and imprisonment up to two years.

Information obtained by a city-based social activist, Rachpal Singh Gabria, from the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ludhiana Range, under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, revealed that notices were served upon three developers for recovery of penalty against the damage caused to plants and immediate removal of encroachment on the land along the canal owned by the Forest Department where passages were being constructed for providing access to illegal colonies.

As per information provided by the Forest Department, the notices were served upon Tejinder Singh, a resident of New Janta Nagar, for damaging 201 plants and encroachment on 180 square metres land along the Sidhwan canal (RD 40-41), Jatinder Singh, a resident of Lohara, for causing damage to 96 plants and encroachment on 50 square metre forest land (RD-41-42) and Sajan Kumar, a resident of Vishwakarama Colony, for damaging 614 plants and encroachment on 95 square metre land.

In the notices served upon the violators, it has been stated that as per a government notification, all lands along canals, Railway lines and other water bodies were ‘deemed forests’ and vested with the Forest Department. Any activity related to non-forestry on this land was in contravention of the provisions made under the Indian Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act with the imposition of penalty and imprisonment up to two years.

The DFO also claimed that the penalty imposed for damage to plants had been recovered from the violators and illegal passages made on the forest land were closed by putting barbed wire and re-plantation on the site. Further, the field staff had been directed to keep a close watch on the sites where illegal colonies were under development along the Sidhwan canal to check any further attempt of encroachment on the forest land.