Minutes of the meeting regarding a residential project obstructing the natural flow of river Siswan, village Kansala, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, 12/11/2020
Minutes of the meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Punjab on October 22, 2020 on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Original Application No. 980/2019 (Harminder Singh & Others Vs Union of India & Others).
The matter related to Omaxe Chandigarh Extension Developers Pvt. Ltd. setting up a residential complex project named "The Lake" which has obstructed natural flow of river Siswan by filling up and closing a part of it in village Bharounjian and diverted it to nearby village Kansala, sub tehsil Majri, district Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Mohali, which resulted in environmental damage and flooding in the area.
The NGT in its order of October 1, 2020 directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab to call a meeting of the concerned departments comprising GMADAA, the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Irrigation Department and the Environment Department to look into the matter and take remedial action and furnish a report.
The Chief Engineer, Drainage, Department of Water Resources proposed the following:
- The cross section of Siswan's tributary needs to be restored to its original capacity of 700 cusec in the Lake Project Area by Oxaxe under the supervision of Drainage Wing of the Water Resources Department
- That the 2 pipes of 5 feet diameter being inadequate to take the 700 cusec discharge of the tributary of Siswan river should be replaced with a bridge of 50 feet span and the cost should be paid for by Omaxe
- The illegal and unauthorised embankments created in the main bed of the Siswan river by private landowners, which divert and restrict the flow of water, away from their fields should be removed and the original course of the river restored
- Adequate flood protection works need to be carried out in the Siswan river
In the meeting it was agreed that the remedial measures proposed are appropriate and should be implemented urgently after placing the matter before the NGT and obtaining its orders in this respect.