New Delhi, Nov 14: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre and the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on a petition apprehending damage to the green belt around Chandigarh by change of land use of areas reserved for agriculture and afforestation. The notices were issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare and Justice S B Sinha on a PIL filed by one Dr B Singh seeking directions to the governments for protection of green belt and the space reserved for agriculture and afforestation around Chandigarh.

He alleged that governments of Punjab, Haryana and the administration of the union territory of Chandigarh have all announced measures for acquiring large tracts of land running into thousands of acres in the reserved land use category posing serious threat to the green belt, which was the lone lung space for one of the most modern cities in India. Singh alleged that the Himachal Pradesh government was also responsible for causing damage to the ecological balance and natural environment around Chandigarh by allowing hundreds of industries to come up on the border of the Union territory.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the respondents to use the land for the purpose for which it was reserved in the master plan.

Bureau Report