Dream city :Shimla

my dear Sh Swatanter Kumarji,

Sir I was going through the newspapers where I read one of your important interventions regarding the construction call for Shimla city. You have formed an 8 member committee to look into the matter and it is with the imminent intention of saving the hills from further depredations and degradation. While going through the order I could also read about the rising air pollution levels in the city.  Though I as the citizen of this country and as one of the custodians of the town could have come up as a party to the petition pending in your court , I thought of writing to you directly as I am quite engaged with all that is happening in this town which we intend to make as a 'dream city'.

Sir I would like to state, whereas it is extremely commendable of you to form such a committee I would just like to apprise you of the developments taking place in the contemporary times which shall definitely help in strengthening the entire exercise. I would like to point out that:-

1.      There should be  a representative of the Shimla Municipal Corporation either the Commissioner or Senior Architect planner who are continuously engaged with the present day reality. And above all the approval of maps is being done by Shimla MC of which Commissioner happens to be the chairperson. Hence minus Shimla MC it would be an exercise which is thrusted upon from the top and not totally ingrained.

2.      Sir I would like to apprise you that Shimla presently works with the Interim Development Plan of 1977-78 which has been amended perhaps once or twice.  It is this plan which guides the town for land use and the kind of construction activity that needs to be carried out. Now as a very positive development the Town and country planning department has floated a tender and has shortlisted some agency to prepare a Master Plan which is also called as the Development Plan for the town which will have a statutory status. I request you to kindly link this team with the preparation of master plan team so that there is an interlinkage. Since a specialist from School of Planning and Architecture will be there (in the 8 member team) who have prepared a master plan for a hill town of Mount Abu under the aegis of Hon'ble Supreme Court ,  hence it will be quite relevant for such a linkage.  This linkage should also have multi stake holder discussions so that ultimately this town is benefitted.

3.      AS far as the air pollution is concerned, Sir I would like to inform you that the Shimla MC has signed an agreement with an international agency called ICLEI for the mapping of the city. We will be producing a green house gas inventory in a period of 6 months so that the area of focus can be ascertained. You know very well the kind of energy consumption in Shimla city is quite green. There is a complete ban on burning of coal and the principal energy used for other utility is either from hydro a fraction from solar. Hence the city and its government i.e the Shimla MC is committed to make Shimla a 'carbon neutral  city'  in days to come. Therefore the team that has been constituted should have a member from Shimla MC so that they can work in tandem and understand the problems holistically.

With greetings.

Yours faithfully,

Tikender Singh Panwar

Sh Swantanter Kumar

Hon'ble Chairperson

National Green Tribunal

Delhi