NEW DELHI, Dec 18: Several embassies in the Diplomatic Enclave have converted the green belt surrounding their premises into parking lots, despite rules to the contrary. The list of violators include the US embassy, the German embassy, the Swedish embassy and the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation. Some have even paved the green strips with cement.

The strip in front of the US embassy at Nyaya Marg is the most blatant example. The entire stretch in front of the building has been paved and demarcated as a parking area. A sign board proclaiming `Only Staff Car Parking' has also been put up. The other half of the stretch is used as parking space for two-wheelers.

Not too far away is the office of Trade Representation of Russian Federation. The green area outside has been paved and though there are no parking signs, the area is definitely being used as a parking lot. Outside the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, while the green area is unpaved, a number of cars are usually parked near a board proudly displaying the sign `Visitors' Car Park'.

The embassy of Sweden has also cemented the green patch in front of the building, even though it is not being used as a parking lot.

And it is not as if the parking lots have come up suddenly. Says Kiki Munshi, press counsellor at the US embassy: ``This land is being used as a parking lot for the last eight to nine years. However, till three years ago, there was just gravel here and it was only three years ago that we got it cemented. And this was done after obtaining permission from the government.''

``The site was first inspected and only after the requisite permission was granted did we undertake this conversion. Unfortunately, we do not keep records for a very long time, so it is not possible to find the supporting documents for this.''

Officials of the New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) however, say that this is a violation of the bye-laws and no way could permission have been accorded for this. According to Madan Thaplial, spokesperson, NDMC: ``We have already assigned officials to survey the area and check whether any other embassies apart from the US embassy are committing the same violation.''

`` We will also check our records to see whether permission to convert this area was granted or not. Then a report will be compiled and only then will we able to say how and why it was done.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.