CHANDIGARH: The UT urban planning department has declined to approve the Chandigarh Housing Board’s (CHB) proposal for plotted housing development in the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (RGCTP).
The department referenced the Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP) 2031, which forbids individual plotted development in the city. This decision was shared last week, requiring CHB to reassess its IT Park housing scheme.
CHB had put forward a comprehensive proposal intending to replace the previous group housing model with individual plots for sale at the IT Park. However, the urban planning department’s recent communication explicitly stated: “According to the notified Chandigarh Master Plan 2031, development is recommended to be in high-density group housing form within 4/6-storey buildings to accommodate a larger number of flats. Moreover, CMP-2031 advises against the allocation of individual plots; hence, your request cannot be granted.”
Officials verified that this restriction is applicable citywide, including Manimajra, where only flat developments within housing societies have been sanctioned. “Our planning must adhere to CMP-2031 guidelines which categorically prohibit plotted development,” a senior UT official noted.
The IT Park housing initiative, which spans 123 acres, has encountered several challenges. Initially, CHB aimed to initiate a high-rise project on 16.6 acres, but this was rejected in 2022 by the National Wildlife Board (NWB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change due to environmental concerns. The NWB expressed that high-rise constructions could disrupt migratory bird paths and adversely affect the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, an ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ). Additionally, concerns related to waste generation, noise, and air pollution were raised.
The original scheme approved by CHB’s board in December 2020 proposed 728 flats, distributed across three types: 28 four-bedroom, 448 three-bedroom, and 252 two-bedroom units within seven-storey buildings. It included two basement levels for parking two cars per flat along with extra surface parking for visitors. The estimated cost of the project was Rs 643 crore, planned across two IT Park plots measuring 10.51 acres and 6.43 acres, with commercial and institutional spaces also included.
Given this latest refusal, CHB will need to consider alternative development models that align with CMP-2031 and environmental standards. Officials hinted that the focus may revert to group housing formats or other lawful development avenues.
