GMDA plans Rs 1,000 per sq metre fine for green belt encroachers

Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority is contemplating imposing hefty fine of Rs 1,000 per square metre on violators of green belts. Currently, the authority can either serve notices to violators and thereafter remove the squatters or seek police intervention.

At a recent GMDA Core Planning Cell (CPC) meeting, officials proposed that some regulations are required to protect the city’s green belt. They stated that these regulations were needed for the seizure of tools and machinery in case of encroachment, illegal felling of trees and for the imposition of fines thereof. Officials told that the proposal recommended imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 per square metre of squatters.

GMDA chief executive officer (CEO) Sudhir Rajpal, however, maintained during the meeting that provisions for dealing with such violations were already in place and suggested that no “parallel provisions” may be imposed since these may be seen as “harassment to the public”.

While Rajpal could not be reached for comment, some GMDA officials told that the proposal was still “under consideration”. The matter would also need approval at the GMDA meeting since it is a “policy decision or regulation”, officials said.

“A decision was not made regarding the proposal at the last CPC meeting though it was put before the cell. The matter is still under discussion,” a senior official said. According to the official, of the current measures that the GMDA can resort to for removing encroachments, seeking police intervention meant a much longer timeframe towards a resolution. “Removal of the squatters ourselves means that there are neither any consequences for the violators nor do they have to pay for the damages since there is no provision for a penalty,” the official added.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, said there was a need for hefty penalties to discourage people from encroaching upon green belts. “There must be consequences for encroachment. Only when people know there will be penalties, will this stop,” environmentalist Vaishali Rana said.