Chandigarh Housing scheme : Now, Chandigarh Housing Board to bring wildlife expert on board

Chandigarh Housing scheme : Now, Chandigarh Housing Board to bring wildlife expert on board

In October last year, MoEF had refused to accord approval to the housing scheme, featuring 728 flats in three categories, stating that the project site falls in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.

The ministry had sought a detailed justification from the UT administration for allowing the project.

“Initially, we were working on a study on migratory birds, but it will take around one year. Now, we have decided to take advice of a wildlife expert and send it to the ministry. The said project is approved in the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031. Also, the project site is located 1.25 km beyond the ESZ, where construction is allowed,” said CHB chief executive officer Yashpal Garg.

In 2017, Chandigarh had declared an area varying from 2 km to 2.75 km from the sanctuary boundary that falls within UT as ESZ, which was notified by the MoEF the same year.

The housing scheme, featuring 728 flats in three categories, was first approved by the CHB board of directors in December 2020.

Classified into 28 four-bedroom, 448 three-bedroom and 252 two-bedroom flats, the scheme has been planned on two plots, measuring 10.51 and 6.43 acres. The land is part of the 123 acres that CHB retrieved from Parsvnath Developers in 2015 after a long-drawn legal battle.

The towers will have two basements with provision of parking of two cars for each flat in addition to surface parking for visitors.

Though the exact rates of flats are yet to be decided, the cost of a four-bedroom flat is expected to be around ₹2.75 crore, that of a three-bedroom flat is to be ₹1.9 crore and for a two-bedroom flat, it is likely to be around ₹1.3 crore.