Green belt turns into illegal parking zone in Sirsa colony

In Sirsa’s Housing Board Colony on Barnala Road, residents have illegally converted the green belt area into private parking zones. Originally reserved for trees and open space, the land is now enclosed with walls and gates, and used for parking personal vehicles.

The colony was developed mainly for government employees, with proper planning for greenery, parks and a green belt between the road and the residential area. However, over the years, officials stopped monitoring the area, leading to widespread encroachment.

In many cases, the residents have built permanent structures such as boundary walls and locked gates, treating the public land as their own. Some have planted decorative trees, but the area no longer serves its original purpose of promoting greenery. Illegal parking and encroachment have also spread to the market area of the colony. The space meant for customers to park in front of shops has been occupied by street vendors. Temporary food stalls have turned into permanent sheds and kiosks, housing tea, juice and food outlets. Nirmal Singh, a resident, said the colony’s parks were in poor condition, lacking basic maintenance, cleaning and irrigation. Many plants have dried up due to neglect.

He further said no strict action had been taken so far to reclaim the green belt or remove illegal parking structures. According to sources, Rs 20 lakh was approved by the municipal council for the green belt development and encroachment removal. Although the work began, it was halted midway and the funds were reportedly used elsewhere.

In this matter, Housing Board Estate Manager Surya Pratap said he had not received any complaints so far. He added that if anyone filed a complaint, action would be taken. Surya Pratap also mentioned that checking for encroachments was the responsibility of the SDO. However, when SDO Tekchand was asked about this, he said that it fell under the authority of the Estate Manager.

Haryana Tribune