PMO seeks reports from state govt on Mattewara Forest and Industrial Park issue

Ludhiana, September 3, 2021: Prime Minister's office has sought reports from various departments of the Govt of Punjab in the ongoing controversy around Mattewara Forest and Industrial park issue.
 
The grievance of Balwinder Singh Purain chief editor of Jujhar Times sent to the PMO on 26 July 2021 was transferred to MoEFF which has further been marked to The Addl Chief Secretary (Forest) Punjab. In the official communication Suneet Bhardwaj Asst. Inspector General of Forests in the Forest Conservation Division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change has sought a detailed report on the issue from the Govt of Punjab.
 
Balwinder Singh Purain had asked PMO to intervene in the matter saying, "Mattewara Forest Reserve in Ludhiana, Punjab is a critical to the ecology of the state. It is under threat because of Punjab government's decision to set up an industrial park in a surrounding area. "He further also requested the PMO to take requisite action to protect the forest reserve and prohibit any such activity in and around it to protect the scant forest cover in the state."
 
In another grievance on the matter by activist Kuldeep Singh Khaira to the PMO which has been marked down to the member secretary PPCB via Central Pollution Control Board the CPCB has asked the PPCB to provide action taken report to the complainant under intimation to CPCB within 15 days. Kuldeep Khaira had raised the issue of potential threat to the environment/ecology of the eco sensitive Mattewara area and floodplains of Satluj river in that region due to upcoming Industrial/Textile Park in 955 acres of the flood plain near Mattewara forest.
 
PAC for Satluj and Mattewara held a meeting here today to take stock of these actions taken by the PMO and to plan a photography competition and a tree plantation drive near Mattewara on the coming Sunday (5 Sept) to encourage citizens to visit the forest and see the beauty of nature near Ludhiana. Ranjodh Singh main organizer of the event said, "Most Ludhianvis still do not know about natural beauty of Mattewara area and we want them to come and atleast see it once before it gets damaged due to industrial activity and labour colonies getting built in the area by the government which is hell bent on creating Industrial/Textile Park in that area. Its also teacher's day so we are espcially inviting teachers and students to come and celebrate the day in the lap of nature."