Will reconsider Sukhna ESZ proposal: Punjab to SC

During the hearing on December 11, the state government informed the top court that during a public hearing held on December 4 this year, 81 representations were received from the general public and various resident welfare associations, where they stated that ESZ should be 100 metres or less

The Punjab government has decided to revisit its earlier proposal to designate a 3-kilometre eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.

As per Supreme Court directives, permanent structures cannot be constructed within an ESZ for any purpose. (HT FIle photo)

In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the state has sought three months to draft a revised proposal, which the court granted.

During the hearing on December 11, the state government informed the top court that during a public hearing held on December 4 this year, 81 representations were received from the general public and various resident welfare associations, where they stated that ESZ should be 100 metres or less.

Thus, it sought three months to draft a fresh proposal after consideration of the comments and suggestions, adding that it will get the plan approved by the council of ministers, before submission to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

On November 20 this year, the apex court, while hearing Nayagaon residents’ plea against the ESZ proposal, had directed the Punjab government to consider the concerns of the plot holders before taking a final decision.

The committee comprised Punjab cabinet ministers, including Dr Ravjot Singh, Lal Chand Kataruchak and Hardeep Singh Mundian, who held the public hearing at Punjab Bhawan in Sector 3, Chandigarh, where over 100 residents participated.

The residents of villages Kansal, Nada, Nayagaon and Karoran had strongly opposed the Punjab forest department’s proposal to earmark 3-km ESZ around the sanctuary as it would lead to demolition of numerous structures, including houses, shops, hospitals, religious places and hotels.

Area on Haryana, UT side already demarcated

On the Haryana side, an area ranging from 1 km to 2.035 km around the sanctuary has been demarcated, as notified by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) on November 11, 2024.

The UT administration had similarly declared an ESZ of 1 km to 2.75 km from the sanctuary’s boundary on the Chandigarh side in January 2017, notified by the environment ministry the same year.

The Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, covering 25.98 square km (approximately 6,420 acres), falls under the administrative control of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, and borders both Punjab and Haryana. Located in the ecologically sensitive and geologically unstable Shivalik foothills, the sanctuary’s protection remains a priority for environmentalists.

As per Supreme Court directives, permanent structures cannot be constructed within an ESZ for any purpose. Moreover, no commercial construction is allowed within a 0.5 km radius outside the ESZ. In the range of 0.5 km to 1.25 km, construction of low-density and low-rise buildings up to 15 feet is permissible. Beyond 1.25 km, new building construction, including houses, is allowed.

Harjot Oberoi, president of Kansal Residents Protection of Rights and Welfare Association, who also submitted the representation, stated that the ESZ should not exceed 100 m, as larger wildlife sanctuaries had implemented similar or smaller buffer zones. He highlighted that 13 sanctuaries in Punjab had ESZs equivalent to 100 m.