SMC grants permission for building residential flats in wetland, Abi Awal in Peerbagh Srinagar

Srinagar, July 15, : The officials in Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) have bent the rules to permit construction of residential flats on 25 Kanals of with Abi Awal land and wetland in Srinagar’s Peerbagh.

The officials have issued permission for construction of eight blocks of residential flats on Nader Gund Peerbagh wetland without seeking the required No Objection Certificate (NoC) from Irrigation and Flood Control and Revenue departments.

Following public flak and inquiry by the Irrigation and Flood Control, the officials concerned in the corporation have now ordered the construction to be put on hold and directed to put the permission order in abeyance.

However, the public pressure is mounting over the administration and people in the locality are demanding action from LG’s office against the officials of SMC, for allowing massive violation of laws.

The public has demanded a probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau as to how SMC officials have allowed construction in Abi Awal and wetland area.

Sources said that the Chief Enforcement Officer and and other ground staff are in connivance with the owners in allowing the construction even as SMC’s concerned officials have put the permission in abeyance.

Joint Commissioner Planning said that no construction can take place when the Permission Order has been put in abeyance.

As per documents, the SMC has given building permission on the Survey numbers 270 271, 270, 272, 273 situated in Nadir Gund Peerbagh for construction of basement and six storey residential flats consisting of eight blocks.

The abeyance order, a copy of which lies with KDC, says that the Survey number 270, 271, 272, 273, 269 as mentioned in the permission are falling in the wetland for which no NOC has been sought from irrigation and flood control department- “being highly unfortunate and apathy of extreme kind.”

The Irrigation and Flood Control department’s Executive Engineer (vide his/her letter no FSCDN/CS/94-98 dated 18/05/ 2) have asked the SMC that to stop the “menace” of illegal construction, the corporation should revoke the permission forthwith and new permission for construction and filling in the wetland may not be granted.

The order further says that the 25 Kanals of with Abi Awal land comes under the preview of Land Conversion Act as per Govt order no 138-REV (S) of 2016 and as such no procedure has been followed in the process of granting permission.

“…Whereas the master plan land used 2035 of the site being paddy field under agriculture and allied category and not residential and therefore an error has been made on this aspect too. Specifically, the existing use of this land / orchard and the patch is not in the buildup.”

“Whereas it infers from the case file that applicant in connivance with revenue and municipal authorities has been able to obtain building permission without seeking NOC from Assistant Commissioner (Revenue/ Nazool) and Chief Engineer/ Executive Irrigation and Flood Control department.”

“The building permission Order No: 4250 of 2019 Dated 16/10/2019 is hereby kept in abeyance/ on hold till further orders.”

When asked about the flagrant violation of the rules by the SMC officials and the owners, the SMC Commissioner Athar Amir Khan told KDC nobody will be allowed to violate the laid down SMC laws. “Further action will be taken,” he said. (KDC)