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BMC team to visit Central Park to take measurements of structures

The move follows an order by a division bench of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asking the civic body to ensure that no fresh construction work was undertaken in Central Park

Representational image File image

Snehal Sengupta
Salt Lake | Published 02.12.23, 07:14 AM

A team from the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will visit Central Park on Monday to take measurements of permanent and temporary structures in the park.

The move follows an order by a division bench of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asking the civic body to ensure that no fresh construction work was undertaken in Central Park.

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The order also directed the civic body to file a report, along with supporting maps, on the original area of the park.

Rahima Biwi Mondal, mayoral council member in charge of parks at the BMC, said they will send the report to the court at the earliest.

“Our legal team was present in the court on Tuesday. We are going to cooperate and comply with the order. It should not take much time to prepare the report,” Mondal told Metro on Friday.

On Tuesday, a division bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam gave the interim order after hearing a public interest litigation filed way back in 2010.

“Originally, Central Park spanned a little over 152 acres. Now, of the 152 acres, only around 75 — Banabitan and a children’s park — have some greenery left. The rest of the land has been concretised and trees have been felled to make way for a number of projects. Many temporary shacks and encroachments come up in the area almost every other week,” said Arunangshu Chakraborty, who had filed the PIL based on which the high court gave the order.

According to Chakraborty, the West Bengal Town and Country Planning and Development Act, 1979, prevents large permanent construction in the park.

The case will be heard next in December.

Salt Lake Central Park Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC)
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