The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee may have given a go ahead to the construction of G - 3 parking (three-floor basement) near Rock Garden to resolve the parking problem in the Punjab and Haryana High Court premises but the experts have expressed apprehensions over the proposal.

Among other decisions regarding the expansion of HC, the CHCC had on Wednesday approved the construction of three-level basement parking near Rock Garden to accommodate around 5000 vehicles coming to the Court premises and nearby areas on daily basis.

While the Chandigarh Administration would need the approval of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to undertake construction work for the parking, the officers in UT Urban Planning Department itself and other experts have now expressed concern over the proposal.

Notably, declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2016, the Capitol Complex is an administrative hub of two states namely Punjab and Haryana and has iconic heritage buildings of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Haryana and Punjab Secretariat and Assembly, open hand monument among others.

Sumit Kaur, a former UT Chief Architect while talking to The Pioneer said, “The Chandigarh Administration should review its decision of construction of three-level underground parking near Rock Garden as approved by CHCC.”

“While a multi-level parking in the buffer zone was proposed for the High Court and Secretariat building, the Administration does not need to go for three-level parking now. Stack parking is another option. In Master plan, we had recommended strengthening public transport between the Capitol Complex world heritage site and important places in the city to put less pressure of traffic in the Complex area,” she said.

“But the proposal of accommodating around 5000 vehicles near Rock Garden would definitely put more pressure in the area,” she added.

“The experts in UNESCO also have an authority to reject the new construction proposals if they think that it could harm the universal outstanding value of the heritage site,” the former UT Chief Architect said when asked about the protocol followed by UNESCO for proposals of new constructions in heritage site and its buffer zone.

In the dossier submitted before UNESCO in 2016 for the nomination of the world heritage status of the Capitol Complex, the Administration had made it clear that increasing pressure on parking lots at the High Court and Secretariat buildings would be addressed without compromising on the layout of the site.

In its yearly report to be submitted to the UNESCO as per the operational guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, the state parties (concerned authorities/states) have to describe any potential major restorations, alterations and/or new construction(s) intended within the property, the buffer zone(s) and/or corridors or other areas, where such developments may affect the outstanding universal value of the property, including authenticity and integrity

“The proposal of three-floor basement parking near Rock Garden was prepared long time back but getting approval for its construction from UNESCO may not be an easy task for the Chandigarh Administration,” said a senior officer of Chandigarh Administration, requesting anonymity.

The officer said that as around 5000 vehicles are proposed to be accommodated in the new three-level basement parking proposed in 6-7 acres, a proposal of new

constructions will be prepared and sent to the UNESCO to apprize them about the decisions taken in CHCC meeting held on November 27. They will re-analyze the proposal of new constructions, the officer said.

In its meeting held on Wednesday, the CHCC had approved the expansion plan of HC including construction of G +1 (ground plus one floor) for setting up judicial branches and lawyers chambers, G - 3 parking (three floor underground) near Rock Garden besides single security system by CISF in the Court premises.

After the meeting, UT Adviser Manoj Parida had said that tenders for the new constructions are likely to be floated in two months time after seeking required permissions for it.