Most Chandigarh residents oppose Tribune flyover project.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Chandigarh A majority of 80-odd city residents — including senior advocates, social activists, retired engineers, architects, members of resident welfare associations and even students — opposed the ₹183-crore Tribune flyover project, claiming that it will prove disastrous for Chandigarh and plunge it into chaos, like one seen beneath the Zirakpur flyover.

They were speaking at a public hearing, monitored by the Punjab and Haryana high court, on the issue at UT Guest House on Monday.

The HC on November 20 had stayed uprooting and cutting of trees for the flyover project, virtually putting on hold its construction. The court had also directed the UT administration and governments of Punjab and Haryana to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of UT adviser, with members nominated by both chief secretaries to look for solutions to deal with traffic problem of the city in general and the stretch between Tribune Chowk and Zirakpur in particular, so that trees could be saved.

Most of the residents asked UT adviser Manoj Parida, who moderated the three-hour-long session, to scrap the project and instead focus on smart traffic management system, put in place a tricity mass rapid public transport system and promote carpooling in corporate and government sectors besides working on bypasses and outer ring roads.

Most of those who came out in support of the project were either close to MP Kirron Kher, who was the force behind the project, or Bharatiya Janata Party-backed trader bodies, who were of view that the project should not be scrapped as it got the Centre’s nod after a lot of difficulty. Interestingly, even Chandigarh Congress leader Devinder Babla said he is not against the flyover, as long as it ends traffic chaos in the city. “However, the permanent solution is metro rail. I don’t know why Kirron Kher is against it,” he said.

After the hearing, Parida said its outcome will be submitted to the high court before the next hearing in the matter, for further directions.

‘Violation of Master Plan’

Senior advocate ML Sarin said the planning of Tribune flyover is in violation of Chandigarh Master Plan 2031, as it had already rejected the idea of construction of overbridges or flyovers in the city. The proposed flyover will only shift the traffic to the next roundabout, he said, while questioning: “Will the city have flyovers all over?”

UT’s former chief architect Sumit Kaur said the project was a myopic solution to the rising traffic issue, which cannot be solved without an integrated traffic planning for the entire tricity. Senior advocate, Reeta Kohli, said that the UT, Punjab and Haryana’s joint coordination body that is in existence since 1975 hardly puts any effort in jointly dealing with traffic issues even as half of the city’s traffic is coming from the two neighbouring states. She also cited the National Urban Transport Policy, which is against flyovers as a viable way to deal with traffic.

RTI activist RK Garg said it appeared the UT engineers went ahead with the project while ignoring the opposition of UT urban planning and transport departments, which must be investigated.

‘Why focus on one rotary only?’

Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations, said the project is not well conceived as it will only ease traffic congestion at Tribune Chowk while the overall traffic congestion will remain unchanged elsewhere.

“World’s leading cities are moving away from flyovers and here we are investing in it, not learning from their bad experience with these white elephants,” said city-based architect and former nominated councillor Pallav Mukherjee, who sought a comprehensive mobility plan for the entire city with focus on smart traffic management system and reduction in dependence on private vehicles.

Retired UT engineer Chander Prakash said he was never stuck at Tribune Chowk for more than five minutes. “Finding a solution for one intersection alone is not enough. UT planners should focus on traffic issues of the entire tricity,” he said.

The 1.6km flyover is to be built from near the GMCH-32 roundabout up to the railway overbridge on Dakshin Marg after passing over Tribune Chowk. UT administrator VP Singh Badnore had laid the foundation stone in March. It was being touted as a solution to traffic mess witnessed in the vicinity of Tribune Chowk.