Mohali: Trees across Mohali continue to be surrounded by concrete and bitumen despite National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions mandating a one-metre breathing space around their trunks, the Environment Protection Society (EPS) has alleged.The society has moved the executing court, accusing the municipal corporation (MC), Mohali, of failing to implement the tribunal’s orders and seeking a vigilance bureau or Enforcement Directorate probe into alleged irregularities worth around Rs 2.5 crore in deconcretisation works.EPS president and retired chief engineer HS Minhas said the NGT’s full bench had directed in 2019 that all concrete and bitumen within one metre of tree trunks be removed to ensure adequate air and water supply to roots. The tribunal also ordered annual tree enumeration, plantation of saplings in place of dead trees and inclusion of clauses in civic tenders prohibiting construction activity within one metre of trees.However, the society claims that trees at several locations in Mohali remain concretised despite repeated tenders being floated for deconcretisation. It has alleged that expenditure was shown against these works even though the work was not carried out at many sites.“The NGT had clearly ordered removal of concrete and bitumen around tree trunks, but many trees in Mohali still have virtually no breathing space,” Minhas alleged.The society has urged the court to order an independent investigation into the alleged expenditure and execution of the works and to fix responsibility for non-compliance with NGT directions.It also pointed out that violations of NGT orders can attract penalties under the law, subject to court proceedings and statutory provisions. Minhas claimed that a former municipal commissioner had already been summoned by the executing court in connection with alleged non-compliance.“The objective should be to protect trees, not merely issue tenders in their name. If public money has been spent without work being executed on the ground, the matter warrants an independent probe,” he said.The allegations and the extent of any financial irregularity, however, remain to be established through investigation and scrutiny of official records.When contacted, MC commissioner Sundeep Singh Garha said he would get the locations checked and respond. However, no further response was received despite repeated calls and messages till the filing of the report.EPS CLAIMSNGT ordered removal of concrete and bitumen within 1 metre of tree trunks in 2019Society alleges many trees in Mohali remain concretisedProbe sought into alleged ₹2.5-crore deconcretisation irregularitiesCourt asked to order Vigilance Bureau/ED investigationMC says it will verify the locations; detailed response awaited
