In a bid to maintain healthy ecosystem, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has made plantation of at least one tree mandatory on the plots measuring 40 square metres and above. It has stated that if that is not followed then the building plans and occupation certificates (OC) will not be issued.
This model is a direct adaptation of the Bengaluru civic by-laws 2003 which has the guidelines for number of trees required to be planted according the size of the plots.
As per a report in HT, one tree must be planted on a plot size of 40-200 square metres, two trees on 200-500 square metres plot and three for plots measuring 500-750 square metres.
It was also specified the land owners should also plant same number of trees on the side of the roads which are more than 9 metres wide.
According to the MCG’s senior town planner, Satish Parashar, the order to implement this had come last week and the proposal was approved in a house meeting on July 25 last year. The purpose of this proposal was to increase the green cover in the area.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had also directed to take action in the direction of improving the air pollution in the city.
It has been made mandatory for the owner to submit photographs of the planted trees in order to get OCs. The issuance of OCs will only be done after the inspection of the officials at the plots.
There is also a provision of fine of Rs 1,000 per tree if the owner fails to plant specified number of trees at the plots. The owners will also be given warning to plant trees within the period of one month.
