Chandigarh, March 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court order staying all construction activity in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake has come as another jolt for the multi-tower high-rise Camelot project of Tata Housing Development Company (THDC). With the map outlining the catchment area of the lake being placed on record, it is now clear that the site of the controversial project falls within the catchment area.

The high court directions, staying all construction activity in the catchment area, were passed on March 14, during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the lake. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih took on record the map (prepared by the Survey of India) defining the entire catchment area falling in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana.

As per the map, villages of Kaimbwala and Khuda Alisher in Chandigarh, Nayagaon and part of Kansal in Punjab and parts of Saketri and Mahadevpur in Haryana form part of the catchment area. Since the Camelot site, located in Kansal village, falls in the Sukhna’s catchment area, the project developer, THDC, will not be allowed to go ahead with any construction on the site, till the stay is vacated.

When contacted, Tata Housing officials reiterated that the project land did not fall in the catchment area. In a statement issued to The Tribune, the company said, “We rely on the affidavit filed by the state of Punjab (on September 23, 2010), in the said matter, which clearly states that no part of Punjab falls within the catchment area. The ground situation today has substantially changed from the survey map of 1995 referred to, in the court order. Notwithstanding the above, the Tata Housing is committed to abide by the law of the land and will respect the order of the honourable court.”

Other than the THDC, several other builders, many supported by politicians, have purchased land in the area and were in the process of launching their housing schemes. Interestingly, many top bureaucrats and policemen have also purchased land in these villages. The Haryana Urban Development Authority was also trying to carve a sector and float a residential scheme in the catchment area.

The Tribune has been highlighting how rules were bent to give a go-ahead to the Camelot project by the Punjab Government that has 102 Punjab politicians as its beneficiaries. In January, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had ordered an inquiry into the project. An inspection was conducted by a six-member team of the ministry in January, which verified the distance of the project site from the sanctuary. It found that the Camelot site fell in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake.

Following this, the ministry has also filed an affidavit in the high court, saying the project would get environmental clearance “…subject to their obtaining prior clearance from the forestry and wildlife angle, including clearance from the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife”.