Nagpur: Former Congress councilor Kamlesh Chaudhary has expedited the construction of cement concrete residential building in the catchment of Futala Sarovar. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to ban all activities in Dharampeth Zone. As usual, the Municipal Corporation remained a mute spectator.
Following TOI’s news, the NMC Dharampeth zone had on August 22 issued a letter to Chowdhury’s mother Meena, who is also a former corporator, directing all construction to stop till further orders.
Visiting the site on Tuesday revealed that the work has been expedited with more workers on the job. The work of pouring cement concrete slab on the ground floor has started. Residents of Hazaripahar said that work was going on even a day earlier.
Officials of NMC Dharmapeth circle said that Chaudhary has stopped work after receiving the letter a day ago. “We will inspect the site tomorrow and take appropriate action if the work continues,” he said.
The NMC had also directed Choudhary to submit all relevant documents related to the construction within three days, the deadline of which expires on Wednesday. Officials of NMC Dharampeth zone said that they have not yet submitted documents like building plan approval.
TOI had reported that Chaudhary does not have the approval of the building plan from the NMC town planning department. He had given the application, which is pending with the department.
Either Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) or Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Science University (MAFSU) is said to be the owner of the land. Both the universities had confirmed to TOI that no permission was given to Choudhary for the construction of a residential building.
The NMC also cannot grant clearances as per the guidelines of the Wetlands (Protection and Management) Rules.
The Futala Lake was notified as a wetland by the Central Government. The guidelines stated, “Any construction of a permanent nature, except boat berths, within 50 meters from the average high flood level observed in the last ten years as computed from the date of commencement of these rules, is prohibited within the notified wetlands. ”
Choudhary is constructing residential building in the catchment area of the pond.
This is not the first time that Choudhary has ridiculed the NMC notice. In 2019, the NMC had issued a notice to stop commercial activities including lawns. But he continued to mow the lawn. The booking office is a concrete building and is untouched from 2019.
The civic body had demolished a temple in the same premises during a campaign launched across the city. Chowdhary had constructed a new concrete structure for the temple. An illegal hoarding has also been put up at the entrance of the campus along Air Force Road.
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