New HC devpt plan faces Unseco test
Unesco
in a meeting slated to be held in Geneva in the first week of September.
The new plan envisages 16 new courts, advocate chambers, cafeteria, parking and space for high court branches like administrative block in the existing court complex at "suitable distance"from existing heritage buildings.
The revised plan is based on the "blue line" marked HC envelope given by Unesco. Under the scheme, new structures can come up at a suitable distance from heritage buildings in the HC complex.
"The new structures will now be at a satisfactory distance so that the structural stability of the heritage buildings is not put in jeopardy.
In the blue-line envelope, up to 1.5 lakh sq ft space will be available for construction," said sources.
The Unesco World Heritage Committee and its advisory non-government organisation for World Cultural Heritage Sites, ICOMOS, had expressed reservations about the original holistic development plan for the court, on the grounds that the proposed projects could jeopardise the integrity of the World Heritage property.
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Thereafter, a decision was taken to carry out a heritage impact assessment (HIA) to evaluate the positive and negative effects of the projects on the outstanding universal value (OUV) of the world heritage site.
The ICOMOS technical review report on an HIA report about the holistic development of High Court Project in Capitol Complex emphasised in 2023 that green spaces that frame the High Court's rear facade, as well as the open space (whether paved, green, or pool) that surrounds the building is crucial.
Nevertheless, the report also acknowledged the need for expansion of the High Court Complex in view of present and future user needs.
The committee contended, "It is understood that the proposed holistic development of Punjab and Haryana high court is a response to a legitimate need for more workspace. However, the proposed design warrants a reassessment of how it minimises its impact on the court and its buffer zone.
In particular, it is requested that the state party more narrowly define the area where the proposed structure or structures can be built, in order to avoid damage to site attributes that contribute to the property's outstanding universal value.
...The dashed blue line anchored to the Tonga block should be considered as the maximum extension of the area for new buildings."
ICOMOS advised that the demolition of the Tonga Block be reconsidered, and the structure maintained.
"The need for open space behind the High Court plus the need to save the Tonga Block both help in establishing a 100,000 – 150,000 square foot envelope which could serve as the territory within which to locate the structure or structures that would help meet the need for more workspace," ICOMOS said.
Any major construction within the protected zone must be pre-cleared by the World Heritage Committee.
On August 5, the high court directed the UT administration to file an affidavit to clarify if the holistic development plan was to the approval of the UT administration as well as the heritage committee, if the requirement of courtrooms was reduced.
The UT had offered 48 acres of land in Sarangpur village but refused to give land in the IT Park area
BOX: UT stance on alternate land
—On IT Park land, the UT recently submitted with the HC that change of land use was not applicable. Land was allotted for information services, information works, and information technology enabled services.
—On 48 acre land in Sarangpur, the UT contended that the new High Court complex in Sarangpur would have an institutional area with compatible land use, higher FAR and good connectivity by 200 ft wide road along with a proposed elevated road
—On August 5, the court observed that the proposed relocation of the high court from Sector 1, Chandigarh to Sarangpur village may cause inconvenience to judges, litigants, lawyers and other stakeholders because traffic of Chandigarh as well as Panchkula and partly of Mohali would take the route passing through Sector 12, PGIMER intersection to reach Sarangpur village
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