The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to declare several areas in the heart of Shimla as ‘no-construction zones’ to curb construction activity in the town’s congested core areas.Highly placed sources said the Cabinet had approved a blanket ban on all new constructions in most parts of the town’s core area. However, there will be relaxation for the construction of government buildings for public use and the reconstruction of old buildings along “old lines only”. A notification inviting public objections and suggestions is likely to be issued by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department later this week.The areas where new constructions will be banned include all parts falling above the road crossing through Sanjauli, College of Excellence, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Lakkar Bazaar, Ridge, Rani Jhansi Park, Mall Road, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Clarkes Hotel, Oakover, Chotta Shimla and back to Sanjauli.Confirming the Cabinet decision, TCP Minister Rajesh Dharmani said the ban was aimed at preserving Shimla’s greenery, asserting that people visited the town for its forests and natural beauty, and not for a concrete jungle.Most of the areas where construction is now being banned were originally part of the 17 no-construction green belts that were opened to need-based constructions by way of the Shimla Development Plan-2041, approved by the Supreme Court on January 11, 2024.In an attempt to create ‘green lungs’ for Shimla, the state government had in December 2000 carved out 17 green belts within the town and declared them no-construction zones. The belts were spread over 414.36 hectares. However, the Supreme Court’s approval to the Shimla Development Plan-2041 opened these green belts to need-based construction for self-use.In November 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had restricted all buildings within the Shimla Planning Area to a maximum of two and a half storeys and upheld the blanket ban on construction in the 17 green belts. The state government challenged these restrictions in the Supreme Court and secured relief.Apart from the 17 green belts, the TCP Department notified eight new green belts in Shimla on January 17, 2024, taking the total to 25. Tara Devi was declared the 26th green belt on January 11, 2025. “Most of these green belts have pristine deodar forests that serve as the town’s ‘lungs’. The ban on construction will help preserve Shimla’s precious green cover,” said an environmentalist.