Plans mooted for development of Chandigarh

The Chandigarh administration has a plan for the all-round development of the city in order to retain its image as one of the most modern cities of the country.

The city was planned 50 years ago to provide all basic physical and social infrastructure and to serve as a model in the city planning.

However, with the passage of time several factors such as growth in population, unauthorised growth in periphery areas and city's current status as a high class regional hub for commerce and educational, have put strain on its infrastructure.

According to residents, the first and foremost need was to prevent the haphazard development of the city's periphery area. As envisioned by the Administrator S F Rodrigues, a perspective plan has been made to accommodate needs of the city in terms of institutional areas, recreational areas and technology habitats and also on residential needs.

It has also been decided to retain a green buffer around the city in the form of forests, environmental parks, amusement parks, golf courses, major recreational and sports activities.

An area of 2.89 sq km, has been kept "green", in the form of recreational zones which includes a leisure valley in the form of forest and green area, walk ways and cycle tracks.

Facilities for equestrian sports, motor sports, riding clubs, race course would be developed and the possibility of another lake was being examined along with other recreational facilities.

An extension of the information technology park in an area of 600 acres near the Kishangarh village, has led to the proposal of making an IT township out of it, consisting of more space for IT companies and build houses, hospitals, schools, recreational facilities and green spaces. This would be linked with the city though mass rapid transport system, an official spokesman said, adding, approximately 550 acres had also been kept for institutional zone.

Twenty per cent out of this area will be kept green. In addition, an area of about 153 acres is being planned as the industrial area for non-polluting industries. To cater to the needs of growing population, an area of around 573 acres has been proposed for residential units, which will be planned as self sustainable pockets, with required infrastructure.

In order to rehabilitate people living in slums, a project is being finalised to develop around 22,000 low cost housing units in the periphery, which will be given on rent.

While planning the new sectors, the same concept of self-sustainable neighbourhood units has been kept in mind, with central green and leisure valleys being extended.

Though the density in the sectors coming up in third phase have been increased, sufficient green space has been kept for the care of "Body and spirit" as per the original concept, officials said. A home for elderly and physically challenged is also being constructed. A proposal for high rise residential units with lots of green areas and wide roads is also under consideration. Adequate number of schools, dispensaries, community centres and shopping centres are coming up in while a convention centre and a hotel are being planned.

For smooth management of commercial activities a scheme has been worked out to complete even storyed building in the heart of the city centre by involving private developers and an architect of national repute.

A sports complex, a planetarium, a hotel-cum-resrot, and a 100-bed hospital have been planned.

A commercial belt has been planned, which will house shopping malls, offices and hospitals. The architectural controls in this regard have been relaxed in order to have buildings of high architectural standard, incorporating the latest technology.

In order to decentralise the load of buses from the existing inter-state bus terminus, another terminus is under construction.

To bring the city on the tourism map of the country, the Chandigarh administration has sanctioned a mega sound and light show to be staged at government museum and art galleryby the beginning of the next year.