Bhubaneswar, Feb. 21: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority is planning to restrict housing activities in ecologically sensitive zones under a new building regulation.

The draft BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Regulation, 2012, has been cleared by the law department and the planning authority is going to notify it soon. The amended law is an improvement on the existing 2008 regulations, formulated under the provisions of Section 124 of the Orissa Development Authorities Act, 1982.

The planning and building standard guidelines of the proposed regulation say: “Within the eco-sensitive zones, there will be no plotting schemes and small industries or institutions. There should also be no development of any kind of structures between the river/canal/stream and embankments.”

The amended version of the building regulations will invite suggestions from people and criticism for 15 days once the text is uploaded on the Internet by the BDA.

The eco-sensitive zone in Balianta block near the city, which is home to more than 60 species of birds, including migratory ones, has fallen prey to land mafia and real estate developers. “The entire area is like a wetland, as it is crisscrossed with several water channels, canals and streams. Once a vegetable basket for the city because of its fertile soil, local people no longer depend on agriculture and horticultural practices. The change in attitude of the people and the lure of easy money is gradually changing the landscape completely. We always sought a change in the land use policy and if the development authorities take steps in this regard, it will be of great help,” said historian and writer Prafulla Kumar Tripathy, who is from Balianta block.

“With a rise in real estate prices, there is no available place within the city. So, people are heading to places like Balianta. While a simplex costs around Rs 35 lakh in the city, the same costs about Rs 12-14 lakh in Balianta. Those who do not like apartments and want independent houses are looking for plots here. The land prices have also skyrocketed. A decade ago, land here cost around Rs 2.5 lakh per acre. Now, it costs between Rs 50 and 75 lakh,” said Prasad Dash, an ecologist, who stays at Bhingarpur.

“The unusual rise in the change in the land use pattern — from agricultural to house-building — will cause a serious problem in the food chain. The food chain is very vital in an ecosystem because the animals and plants are interlinked in a prey-predator relationship, but with the change in the land use pattern, the ecosystem will be damaged completely,” he said.

On May 31, 2011, The Telegraph published a report, Brick blow to eco-system, highlighting problems of the eco-sensitive zones near Balianta. The BDA authorities said that soon, provisions would be made to keep the area protected from unnecessary growth of concrete jungles.

BDA planning member Prashant Patnaik said: “The proposed draft has tried to bring in the concept of ecological conservation as almost all the eco-sensitive zones are under attack by rapid urbanisation. However, as we have yet to get the government’s view on defining an eco-sensitive zone, at present, small individual projects will not be allowed there. Only big projects including water harvesting structures can be allowed. Small individual developments will jam the ecosystem.”

Many housing projects are also coming up close to the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary and the sanctuary authorities are planning to strengthen its fringe area with plantation cover to create a natural barrier.

The Nandankanan Zoological Park is also facing a threat from urbanisation. “The planning authority should be thinking about green building concepts where the construction activities near forests or wildlife habitats will suit the environment,’’ said environmentalist Bijay Mishra.