UNESCO BLOCKS CHANDIGARH’S CAPITOL COMPLEX PROJECTS DESPITE ADMINISTRATION’S PLEAS

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has brought a definitive halt to three major multi-crore projects within the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, despite the administration’s request for a reconsideration of its earlier decision.

Reaffirming its position, a month after the Chandigarh administration sought a review of its decision, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee responded by suspending the three projects within the Capitol Complex. They recommended that the projects, including heating and air conditioning, a multi-level basement car park, and the holistic development of the Punjab and Haryana High Court project, be suspended due to the negative impacts identified in the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) reports. UNESCO urged the authorities to explore alternative locations and solutions that do not jeopardize the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the site.

UNESCO further emphasized that the recommendations outlined in the ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) Technical Review of the three proposed projects for the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh should be implemented before any construction commences.

The Chandigarh administration had initially sought reconsideration after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee had instructed them to suspend these three projects. They argued that these projects were of substantial value and that their abandonment would have severe financial repercussions. Local officials were particularly concerned about the situation, as the parking project had not yet begun, while others were already in progress, with tenders already being issued.

In a previous draft decision in September, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee had suspended these major projects, citing significant objections and concerns about their impact on the site’s overall

The Capitol Complex, designed by Swiss-French architect-planner Le Corbusier, achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2016. In its initial decision, the World Heritage Committee had noted that the projects initiated and commissioned by the administration were adversely affecting the Overall Universal Value (OUV) of the UNESCO site and, there- fore, should be suspended as they did not meet heritage impact assessment standards outlined by ICOMOS.

ICOMOS, a non-govern- mental organization, has established guidelines for heritage sites. The same body previously accepted the recommendations of an expert heritage committee formed by the Home Ministry to include the Capitol Complex in the World Heritage

list. The UT administration argued for reconsideration, stating that the plans and projects for the Punjab and Haryana High Court within the Capitol Complex had been disclosed in their 2019- 20 dossier. The World Heritage Committee plays a vital role in overseeing the management of existing world heritage sites and enforcing the World Heritage Convention’s guidelines, including the allocation of financial assistance upon request. It may withhold financial assistance if a project does not adhere to the established guidelines.

The Capitol Complex, spanning over 100 acres in Sector 1, stands as a prominent example of Chandigarh’s architecture, designed by Le Corbusier. The complex includes iconic structures such as the Open Hand monument, the high court, the Tower of Shadows, the Geometric Hill, the legislative assembly, and the secretariat.