HC expansion awaits Heritage Impact Assessment report amid UNESCO constraints
Chief Justice Nagu observed that court had no option but to wait as the Foundation Le Corbusier, Paris, was not under High Court’s jurisdiction
The Punjab and Haryana High Court was on Friday told that the consultant engaged for HC’s infrastructural expansion and holistic development was in the process of preparing a heritage impact assessment report—a key prerequisite in view of the site’s UNESCO-protected heritage character.
As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry was informed that the report would be prepared and submitted as expeditiously as possible. “The heritage impact assessment has to be done by the consultant. He has already started working on it,” the court was told on behalf of the High Court Bar Association. Taking note of the submissions, the court fixed the case for hearing after three weeks.
Appearing before the Bench on the Centre’s behalf, Additional Solicitor-General Satya Pal Jain submitted: “Whatever is to be done at our level will be done.” He suggested that the consultant could be asked to pursue the matter with UNESCO, as he was familiar with its functioning.
Chief Justice Nagu observed that the court had no option but to wait, as the Foundation Le Corbusier, Paris, was not under the High Court’s jurisdiction.
Covered passage and gate access issues
The Bench also took note of concerns regarding a covered passage from the High Court building to the kaccha parking, an issue intertwined with UNESCO-related restrictions. The court was told that the issue had been taken up with the consultant.
“We discussed it with the consultant. The entire UNESCO-related issue is that you cannot have any structure very close to this building. That is the reason why an earlier project failed, because the earlier structure was too close to the building. This time it has been shifted farther, and now this problem is coming,” the court was told.
The Bench made it clear that the UT counsel would address the issue on the next date of hearing.
Bio-toilets: HC permission sought, Rs 49 lakh project explained
During the hearing, the court was apprised of a “high-tech” solution to the problem of public toilets.
A formal application was placed before the Bench seeking the High Court’s permission to install 10 containerised smart bio-toilets with automatic sensors to address the long-standing issue of non-availability of public toilets.
The project cost was stated to be Rs 49 lakh, covering five toilets each for men and women. “Everything goes underground; it does not create a stink,” it was added. The Bench was informed that one temporary toilet had already been placed, while tenders for additional facilities would be opened on January 28, with allotment expected within a week.
