The NCR Planning Board has decided to retain the existing provisions for the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ), including protections for the Aravali region, while postponing the finalisation of the Regional Plan 2041 by a few months.
The Times of India reports that the board has decided to form a sub-committee with senior officials from the Centre and participating state governments to review new suggestions from members during its meeting. The committee has been tasked with submitting its recommendations by August 15.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, who chaired the board meeting, said several suggestions had been received from members, and certain issues required further examination before the plan could be finalised.
While he did not elaborate on the specific concerns, he stressed that protecting environmentally sensitive areas remained a priority.
Aravali And NCZ Protections To Continue
Addressing questions on the Aravali hills and the Natural Conservation Zone, the minister said a substantial portion of the Aravali range and forested land falls within the National Capital Region and that all stakeholders support increasing green cover.
He noted that while discussions often arise over the extent of land that should be categorised as forest or green cover, officially recorded forest areas are protected under the jurisdiction of the Union Environment Ministry and existing judicial directions.
According to the minister, any future decisions would comply with rulings of the National Green Tribunal, the Supreme Court, various High Courts and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. “There will be no violation of these decisions,” he said while acknowledging that some suggestions raised by members may not be practically implementable because of existing legal restrictions.
Haryana Suggestion Sparks Discussion
According to the TOI report, some representatives from Haryana argued that, under an earlier Environment Ministry notification, the Aravali region within the NCR is limited to Delhi, Gurugram and Alwar, potentially excluding large stretches of Faridabad from the NCZ framework. However, officials indicated that the existing NCZ provisions, including those relating to the Aravali landscape, would remain unchanged in the Regional Plan.
Urban development ministers from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, AK Sharma and Jhabar Singh Kharra, said there was broad agreement among member states on all agenda items, including matters relating to the NCZ. They maintained that no significant disagreements had emerged during the discussions.
No Fresh Survey Planned
Responding to questions about whether a fresh survey of conservation zones would be conducted, particularly since Haryana and Delhi are yet to delineate their NCZ boundaries, Manohar Lal said no new surveys were being considered.
He acknowledged that satellite imagery alone cannot always accurately distinguish between forests and other forms of green cover. Areas with grassland or even vegetation growing over water bodies may appear similar in aerial images, making on-ground verification necessary.
Push To Replace Old Vehicles
The board also reviewed measures aimed at tackling air pollution in the NCR and agreed to accelerate the implementation of the ‘Parivartan Scheme’, recently approved by the Union Cabinet. The initiative seeks to encourage the replacement of older BS-I to BS-IV buses and trucks with cleaner BS-VI, CNG or electric vehicles within a fixed timeframe.
According to the minister, the scheme will operate on a voluntary basis, with owners scrapping older vehicles eligible for an incentive of around 30% of the value of the replacement vehicle.
The government believes the programme will help reduce vehicular emissions and contribute to improved air quality across the National Capital Region while complementing broader environmental protection measures under the Regional Plan 2041.
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