Chandigarh decides to discuss highrises, ESZ issues with states

12 Mar 2022 CW Team

The Chandigarh administration has decided to discuss the issue of high-rise buildings and other developments in the periphery, Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), and interstate boundary with Punjab and Haryana.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the Union Territory (UT) adviser Dharam Pal, who also reviewed the progress of the implementation of the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031.

According to an official, the administration’s top brass will soon hold a joint meeting with the Governments of Punjab and Haryana regarding the issues of high-rise buildings in the periphery, ongoing construction in the border areas and interstate boundary.

The administration would also hold a crucial meeting regarding the early declaration of an ESZ around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.

He added that the UT would also take the matter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to expedite the process to notify ESZ around Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary for the area that lies in Punjab and Haryana.

Earlier, the UT administration had advised leaving a 2 km to 2.75 km radius from the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary as ESZ.

The administration had also restated that 90% of the sanctuary area falls in Punjab and Haryana. It was crucial to notify ESZ in these states to protect the area. The ministry said that they were seeking the matter with the Punjab and Haryana governments.

In 2020, a meeting was called by the MoEFCC, wildlife division, to discuss forest and wildlife management in the states and UTs.The UT administration had sought a declaration of ESZ as early as possible.

The MoEFCC has issued a final notification on ESZ for only Chandigarh, while the dates have not been declared for Punjab and Haryana till now.

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