With experts flagging serious concerns over the proposed multilevel basement parking in the vicinity of Punjab and Haryana High Court here, the Chandigarh Administration has now got down to brass tacks and preparing to get an environmental impact assessment study done for the project.
The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) had in November last year gave approval to the expansion plan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which included construction of three level basement parking opposite the existing multi-level parking on the premises in Sector 1 here.
The proposed multilevel underground parking site falls in the buffer zone of UNESCO World Heritage Site of Capitol Complex and many experts have warned that the new construction in the Complex may put its heritage status in jeopardy. Not only this, the proposed site also falls within the eco-sensitive zone around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary that was notified in 2017.
As per the proposal, the multi-level parking shall have three levels of basement to accommodate around 5000 vehicles.
The tentative size of the huge proposed basement parking is 434 ft x 810 ft.
The approximate covered area of one floor is 3,72,400 sft and for three floors is 11,17,220 sft.
While the CHCC has approved the parking project, the Chandigarh Administration would have to follow a cumbersome process including apprizing and taking consent from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to undertake the construction work in Sector 1, and taking environmental clearance and eco-sensitive zone clearance from Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for its execution.
The Administration has decided to get conducted an environmental impact assessment study of the proposed parking project which will include aspects namely ambient air quality, vehicular traffic density, flora and fauna, water quality, socio-economic survey among other factors.“We will hire a consultant for preparation of environment impact assessment study for the multi-level parking project in the vicinity of Punjab and Haryana High Court. The study will be done for obtaining environmental clearance and eco-sensitive clearance from MoEFCC,” said a senior officer of UT Administration.
He said that the proposed construction site falls in eco-sensitive zone around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary area and the Administration need the approval of concerned Ministry before any construction in the area.
The Centre had in 2017 declared eco sensitive zone around the sanctuary in the area that falls within the boundary of union territory of Chandigarh. The width of this ESZ in Chandigarh ranges from 2 - 2.75 kms.
Also, the Capitol Complex in Sector 1 here was declared UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 2016. The 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.
Apart from city based senior architects, the officers in the UT Urban Planning Department have also raised concerns over the proposed project.Calling on the Administration to rethink over the project, former UT chief architect Sumit Kaur had recently said that the proposal of accommodating around 5000 vehicles near Rock Garden and in the vicinity of HC would definitely put more pressure in the area.
Although multi-level parking in the buffer zone was proposed for the High Court and Secretariat building earlier also, the Administration does not need to go for three-level underground parking now, she had said.Notably, 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 the 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.
Accordingly, the UT Administration will have to apprize the organization about any new construction at the heritage site and its buffer zone.