Even as the National Capital Region (NCR) moved a step closer to finalising its long-awaited Regional Plan-2041, a crucial policy plan that could shape the future of ecologically sensitive areas across the region remains incomplete, with Haryana and Delhi yet to submit their “ground-truthing” reports for Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs).
The issue came up during the meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) held in Delhi on Tuesday, where Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said reports from Delhi and Haryana were awaited, while two other NCR states—Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan—had completed the exercise.
The reports assume significance because NCZs form the environmental backbone of NCR planning. These zones include forests, river corridors, wetlands, the Aravalli landscape and other sensitive areas meant to be protected from unregulated urbanisation.
“No new survey will be conducted,” said Khattar when asked whether fresh mapping would be undertaken to identify protected zones, particularly in the Aravalli region. Instead, he said physical verification of land conditions was essential before finalising conservation boundaries.
“Sometimes satellite images show an area as green, but it is not always possible to determine whether it is a forest, ordinary vegetation or even weeds covering a water body. That can only be verified on the ground,” he said.
“Ground-truthing” is the process of checking whether what appears on a satellite image matches conditions on the ground.
The exercise has acquired added importance because NCZs have been at the centre of debates over protection of the Aravallis and other natural assets in the NCR. Environmental groups and planning experts have repeatedly argued that without clearly identified and verified conservation boundaries, it becomes difficult to monitor land-use changes or prevent ecological degradation.
Khattar said the final delineation of conservation zones could not be completed without ground verification.
Central Government officials expect the regional plan to be finalised within the next two months. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa could not be contacted for comments.
