Himachal: TCP Dept to create green belts in all major towns to protect forests

On the analogy of the state capital, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department will create no-construction green belts in all major towns like Manali, Kullu, Dharamshala, Kasauli, Mandi to protect forested area.

Advertisement

At present, only the state capital has 26 green belts, which act as lungs of the town. “We propose to declare forest areas, especially in towns witnessing rapid urbanisation as green belts where no fresh construction activity will be allowed. These belts will act as the lungs of the town,” said Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani.

Dharmani said considering the rapid urbanisation of most towns in the state, there was an urgent need to create no construction green belts where the forest and trees were left untouched. Comparison of the satellite imagery of the 17 green belts in Shimla, carved out in December 2000, showed that these had remained intact and acted as lungs of the town.

Interestingly, while the minister is proposing to carve out green belts in all major towns and declare them as no construction zones, the state government has given partial relaxation in construction on plots in some of the green belts where there are no trees in the state capital here.

Fact remains that most towns in the state, especially Kullu-Manali, Dharamsala-McLeodganj, Kasauli, Shimla, Dalhousie, Chail, Kasol and Barot are witnessing mushrooming of hotels amidst pristine forests. The creation of green belts will help protect the forests areas.

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department had carved out 17 green belts (414.36 hectares) in Shimla and notified them as no construction zone in December 2000. Later it was on January 17, 2024 that the TCP notified eight new green belts in Shimla, taking the tally up to 25.

The new belts that were declared green belts include Retreat, Mashobra, Band Tukda Andri, Shiv Mandir Andri, Taal, Giri, Demarcated Protected Forest Khalini, BCCS-Mist Chamber and Pari Mahal. Later, on January 11, 2025 the sate Cabinet declared Tara Devi as a green belt, taking the total number of such areas to 26.

It was in January 2024 that the state government gave partial relaxation in construction in the green belts.

As per the Shimla Development Plan, need-based construction was allowed in areas above the Nav Bhar Chowk -Ram Chandra Chowk-Machli Wali Kothi- Christ Church- Lakkar Bazaar- Sanjauli Chowk.