Lucknow, Oct 5 The Allahabad High Court on Monday took serious note of development authorities failing to earmark adequate space for garbage collection and disposal as well as installation of power transformers while preparing layout plans for cities, towns and residential colonies in Uttar Pradesh.
The Lucknow bench of the court said town planning must take into account not only the existing requirements but also changing and future needs, and directed for the registration of a separate suo-motu (on its own) PIL on the issue.
A bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by one Kuldeep. The registry was directed to register the PIL on "layout plan, town planning and provision of essential facilities".
The matter will next be heard on October 16.
During the hearing, Lucknow Municipal Corporation's counsel Shailendra Singh Chauhan told the court that development authorities do not earmark space for garbage collection or disposal while preparing layout plans. Similarly, adequate space is not left for installing power transformers.
As a result, transformers are installed along roads after colonies are developed, causing traffic obstructions and inconvenience to residents, the lawyer said.
The bench observed that the issue is not merely related to town planning but also concerns the residents' right to a healthy, clean and safe environment.
It said colonies developed by the Housing and Development Council and development authorities should have designated spaces for essential facilities from the planning stage itself.
The court directed that the Housing and Urban Planning and Urban Development departments of the state, the Housing and Development Council, the Chief Town and Country Planner, the Lucknow Development Authority, the Municipal Corporation, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation and the Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam be impleaded as parties.
The court stressed that layout plans must factor in changing requirements and anticipate future needs while planning residential areas.
