Punjab government approves body to face lift cities, reduce pollution

CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved setting up of ' Punjab State Landscaping Authority' in a bid to beautify the cities and reduce pollution level in the state.

The Chief Minister said it was the need of the hour to enhance green cover in cities to save urban residents from the scourge of ever increasing pollution causing respiratory diseases, an official spokesperson said here.

Badal said the haphazard growth in the cities have turned them into concrete jungles due to which the residents were becoming prone to a number of health ailments, the spokesperson said.

The best solution for all these problems was to enhance greenery in the cities, which would not only beautify them but would also reduce pollution, the CM said.

Justifying the creation of a new body, the CM said since the Urban Development Authorities were paying least heed to the greenery of the cities, so a state level authority must be formed with a sole mandate to oversee the entire operations for green cover in the cities.

He said that Urban Local Bodies would recruit specialised staff for this purpose so that the cities could be refurbished under the aegis of 'Punjab State Landscaping Authority.'

The Chief Minister also directed officials to prepare a comprehensive master plan for achieving the desired goal in a time bound manner, the spokesperson said.