4 min readChandigarhApr 28, 2023 07:41 AM IST
First published on: Apr 28, 2023 at 07:41 AM IST
The judgment of the Supreme Court modifying its June 2022 order – that ruled each national park and wildlife sanctuary must have an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of minimum 1 km, measured from the demarcated boundary of such protected forest – will help Haryana and Punjab Forest departments, which are firm to declare only 100 metres as ESZ of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary (Chandigarh).
The apex court on Wednesday had modified its earlier judgment saying it would have prevented the government from building roads and other important infrastructure in those areas which fall within 1 km of ESZ. The apex court has restricted mining in any case within these areas.
Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, which is in Chandigarh, shares boundaries with Punjab and Haryana from the side of Mohali and Panchkula, respectively.
Though the UT Forest and Wildlife department has declared its 2.0 to 2.75 km area as ESZ of the sanctuary, it expects a similar area of ESZ from Haryana and Punjab. Although the two states have only agreed to declare merely 100 metres of their area as ESZ, their proposals are pending before the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Villages, including Kansal, Naya Gaon in Mohali (Punjab) and Saketri, Mahadev Pura, Bhainsa Tibba in Panchkula (Haryana), are within a limit of 1 km to 2.05 km of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Haryana, M L Rajvanshi, says, “Wednesday’s judgment of the apex court will definitely assist us in our stance to declare just 100 metres of the area in our jurisdiction as ESZ pertaining to Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary of Chandigarh. The judgment allows developmental activities within 1 km area of national parks and sanctuaries. We have been arguing with the Chandigarh administration that many of our villages are located within 1 km area of Sukhna sanctuary.”
Meanwhile, PCCF, Punjab, Dharmendar Sharma, said, “Though I am yet to read the full judgment, it will definitely benefit us on our stance that development work should not be affected in our area close to the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. The judgment also talks about the sanctuaries, which share boundaries with many states/UTs like Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.”
In 2021, the UT administration had urged Punjab and Haryana governments to review the plans for the area falling in Kansal village in the development plan of NAC, Naya Gaon 2021, and the Mansa Devi Urban Complex in Haryana according to the requirements specified for the ESZ of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.
Debendra Dalia, CCF, UT, said, “We have a clear ESZ of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in our area. Punjab and Haryana will definitely benefit with Wednesday’s judgment which allows development activities, except mining, within 1 km area of protected parks, sanctuaries.”
4 wildlife sanctuaries in Chandigarh and Panchkula
According to the wildlife departments of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, there are at least four protected sanctuaries, that is, two in Chandigarh and two in Panchkula, and the ESZs of all these four protected sites were declared many years ago.
Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandigarh, has an ESZ area up to 1.75 km, and Bird Sanctuary, Sector 21, has ESZ of around 100 metres.
The two wildlife sanctuaries in Panchkula including Khol-Hai-Raitan, Morni, and Bir Shikargha, near Pinjore, has also well-marked ESZ of 0 to 2200 metres. Indeed, Haryana proposed 100 metres of area in its jurisdiction around Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary to be declared as ESZ, but the proposal is still pending before the authority concerned.
Blue Bulls spotted at the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandigarh. (Express archive) 
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