MP raises rapid urbanisation around UT in Lok Sabha

City MP Manish Tewari today raised the issue of rapid urbanisation around UT in the Lok Sabha.

Tewari questioned whether the Union Government was aware of the challenges arising from the rapid urbanisation in the city and its peri-urban areas, particularly in towns such as Kharar, and if so, its impact on ecological balance, including biodiversity loss, depletion of the water table and increasing pollution levels in the region.

Tewari also raised questions over the measures taken/being taken by the government to preserve Chandigarh’s planned urban heritage. He said whether the government intended to establish a comprehensive policy framework to balance urbanisation, environmental sustainability and agricultural preservation in and around Chandigarh

In reply to his questions, Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, stated that as per the 12th Schedule of the Constitution of India, urban planning, including town planning, came under the functioning of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/Urban Development Authorities. The Government of India supplemented the efforts of the states through schematic interventions/ advisories, he said.

Sahu said, “The UT Administration has stated that the Chandigarh Master Plan has been notified in 2015 to regulate use and development in an orderly manner. Various heritage zones, heritage precincts and buildings have been notified in the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031. It provides for specific development controls and regulations with respect to these sites/zones in the city. The Administration has also notified the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee to safeguard the city’s heritage aspect.”

The Punjab Government has said, “The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, was enacted with the aim of regulating the use of land and prevent unauthorised and unplanned urbanisation on 16 km periphery, which was created with the objectives of ensuring a planned future expansion of the New Capital City and to prevent mushrooming of unplanned construction around it.

Further, in order to meet the emerging needs of population growth, promote planned and systematic development of the entire area and to check haphazard,

unregulated and unplanned development, a comprehensive Regional Plan, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) (2008-2058), was notified, which covers the entire Periphery Controlled Area, including Kharar town.

The state government has also stated that six other Master Plans (Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, New Chandigarh, Kharar, Dera Bassi, Zirakpur and Banur) were notified in areas around Chandigarh, in the State of Punjab, which provided broad land uses like residential zones, commercial zones, industrial zones and institutional zones, where such development could be taken up while also highlighting the trunk services and infrastructure to support such development, he said.

The development in this region is regulated under various plans and Acts and consideration has been accorded to the aspects of ecological balance, including biodiversity loss, depletion of the water table and increasing pollution levels while preparing the Master Plans in this region.

“Further, keeping in view the preservation of the eco-sensitive zones, natural drains, water resources and environmental factors, various safeguards have been proposed, such as forest areas, eco-sensitive zones and green belt along major roads earmarked in the Master Plans. Considering the depletion of the water table, there exists provisions for rain water harvesting, which is mandatory for all categories of buildings under The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules 2021,” the minister added.