Shimla in danger

RINGING the death knell for Shimla’s ecology, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has cleared the way for construction activity in the town’s 17 green belts, spread over 414 acres. It notified the Draft Shimla Development Plan on Tuesday after receiving the go-ahead from the Supreme Court last month. However, all may not be lost. A sliver of hope lies in the SC’s rider: that the document not be implemented for a month after the notification; the next hearing is slated for July 12. These green areas are the ‘lungs’ of Shimla. Even as the town is already reeling under haphazard growth and construction and catering to a population that is much more than its carrying capacity, plus lakhs of tourists, further concretisation would lead to the collapse of the ‘lungs’, suffocating the town. It is feared that throwing open lush green land would lead to a surge in building activity and the condition of limiting construction to one floor and an attic be violated rampantly.

These belts were declared no-construction zones in 2000 in order to protect Shimla. Endorsing the views of experts and environment impact studies, the NGT and HP High Court have upheld the ban ever since.

But the private owners of prime property in these green belts, backed by the powerful real estate lobby, have kept the issue locked in legal battles. Lamentably, successive governments have tilted towards the realtors, who are eyeing a quick buck, caring two hoots for the town’s survival. However, it is understandable that land owners would want to monetise it. The government should, thus, buy land in the green belts from them to end the impasse. It would be money well spent as it would protect the green belt zones and let Shimla retain its exalted status of the ‘Queen of Hills’.