The Chandigarh Administration has taken a major step under the Central Government’s de-regulation initiative and created a land bank of approximately 60 acres. With the amendments to the Master Plan 2031, many major projects may receive the green light in the future. The creation of this land bank will significantly reduce the complex legal process of diverting forest land that often hinders these projects. Following the recommendations of a high-level committee, the administration has approved this proposal. The land has been identified in the forest adjacent to Patiala Ki Rao and in the lower belt of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.
The rules of land bank have been kept very clear and strict.
Land for land: The agency, which is awarded a project, will have to provide an equal amount of land for forest and plantation in exchange of forest land.
Double plantation in case of non-availability of land: If the agency does not have land, then in lieu of the forest land allotted for the project, it will be mandatory to do high-density plantation on double the land in this fixed land bank.
If 1 acre of forest land in an urban area is covered under the project, then the department concerned will have to undertake dense plantation on 2 acres of land from the land bank.
Expenses and penalties: The entire cost of this plantation will be borne by the department concerned. Furthermore, the Forest Department will also be required to pay the net present value of land for damage caused to forest.
The administration gave approval to these measures on the recommendations of a high-level committee
Chandigarh has emerged as a national example in environmental protection. In the past five years, Chandigarh is the only Union Territory in the country with the least amount of forest land diverted for non-forest purposes.
