NGT formed joint committee too down thumbed Omaxe’s The Lake project as violator.
IIT Roorkee too stamped OMAXE LAKE VIEW project ILLEGAL. Continuing to our previous report on Omaxe Chandigarh The lake project is Illegal, NGT formed joint committee’s report too has down thumbed The Lake project while stamping it as violator or illegal. Joint Committee experts who are from different field of specilities and IIT Roorkee visited the field and have made the report that was been presented before the NGT saying that Omaxe Chandigarh Extension Developer Pvt Ltd is a habitual violator.
The Tribunal has further constituted a separate committee comprising of representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), IIT Roorkee, and the State PCB for the purpose to assess whether illegal construction may either have to be removed or compensation assessed and recovered.
Centrelines of the main course of the river Siswan and the Choe that comes from Bharonjian village are marked on the google earth images dated 17/8/2007 and 9/7/2020. Other available Google earth images from the year 2002 to 2020 have also been examined. It is apparent from the examined images that before the construction of the project i.e., the year 2008, the Siswan river after crossing the Chandigarh-Kurali road was taking a left turn (towards east) and then crosses the project road at point ‘A’ and joins the natural Choe coming from village Bharonjian and takes right turn (towards west) while crossing the project road at point ’B’. Thereafter, the river flows towards the village Kansala.
Even after the ongoing construction of the project, the river Siswan crosses the project road at point ‘A’ and then returns back at point ‘B’. Due to the narrow channel section of the river Siswan and the Choe, a major part of the floodwater flows over their flood plain. Due to the inadequate channel section of the river Siswan before its crossing with the project road, a part of the flood water follow the straight path.
Even before the construction of the project, the channel section of the river Siswan and Choe was not adequate to pass the flood discharge. A major part of the floodwater in the Siswa river was following a straight path before the point-A.
After the commencement of the project, the confluence point of river Siswan and Choe was shifted by 300 feet (90 m) approx. towards the northern side near Tower-Isbella of the project. It is also evident that the development of the project has shifted the main course of the river and Choe and also encroached their flood plain near Tower-Isbella. Such encroachment may result in more inundation of the area towards the right side (north) during high flow in the river and the Choe.
A bridge of 400 ft width is provided on river Siswan at its crossing with Uh te road culverts of 75 ft and 45 ft width are provided on the Choe joining to the river. Strangely, only two pipes of 5 ft. dia. each at point ‘A’ & ‘B’ are provided across the project road to pass the flow of the river.
The historical ‘Google earth images’ reveals that the river Siswan has wandering behaviour at village Kansala. The main course of the river near village Kansala during the pre-and post-construction of the project. Some patch of land towards the right side of the river is low lying and gets inundated frequently during the monsoon period. The river has also eroded the right bank at some places. Inundation and some erosion towards the right bank of the river Siswan near the village Kansala can be attributed to the natural change of the river.