NEW DELHI: The NCR Regional Plan 2041 is set to restore the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) fully, with the approval anticipated from the NCR Planning Board on Tuesday. To ensure compliance, the Board must accelerate the mapping of this zone, especially in light of the diminishing Aravali range across the region, to identify any violations and prompt states to rectify them.
In April 2022, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) mandated the Board to finalize the mapping of the NCZ. Experts focused on the Aravali and NCZ protection have urged the Board to hasten the process to align with the tribunal’s ruling. While UP and Rajasthan have successfully completed the NCZ delineation after conducting ground verification, Haryana and Delhi are still working on finalizing theirs.
During a review hearing on April 6, 2022, the NGT revised its earlier directive to enable the use of high-resolution satellite data (with a spatial resolution better than 0.5 meters) instead of the previously required 1:50,000-scale maps due to difficulties expressed by the Planning Board. The tribunal emphasized the use of satellite data with one-meter resolution or finer, examining two seasons from 2021–22 and 2022–23.
The NGT instructed that, initially, maps of the 1:50,000 or 1:10,000 scale from 1999 to 2019 could be utilized to identify significant violations, including the Aravalis’ shrinkage. It highlighted that found violations should not be disregarded; once identified, high-resolution maps should target specific violators for further action in line with the law.
The agenda for the Board meeting reveals that the Haryana government informed the Board in October 2020 of its intention to finalize areas under the NCZ. However, during a planning committee meeting in March 2023, it stated that the work was still not completed. The document notes, “NCZ delineation is still under finalization by the Haryana government.”
In the case of Delhi, it states, “NCZ delineation is still under finalization by the Government of NCT-Delhi.”
