Commercial activity at Leisure Valley raises big stink

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25

Leisure Valley park here is being used for commercial activity by private enterprises causing inconvenience to regular visitors and damage to the green belt, courtesy the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.

A shopping-cum-fun and food exhibition, which was organised by LaFeria Events on Sunday and Monday, has left the park area in shambles. Garbage dumps, stagnant water and vehicles parked inside the garden could be witnessed behind the stalls put up here.

Even cars were seen parked on roads, road berms and green areas on the roadside outside the park. The Leisure Valley in Sector 10 here is one of the first largest sites developed by Le Corbusier. This park is used extensively by residents of Sector 10 and other parts of the city for exercise and morning and evening walks daily.

“The area has been spoilt. They have allowed vendors to drive in and park their vehicles near their stalls inside the park. Temporary electricity connections were given to various stalls. Wires with naked joints can be seen at several places, posing a serious risk to visitors. The staff and the infrastructure of the Horticulture Department of the corporation have been used for the exhibition. Temporary toilets set up at the park emit foul smell,” lamented Col Kulwinder Singh (retd), General Secretary, Resident Welfare Association.

He further observed that, “As has been seen in the past, organisers leave garbage dumps behind once the exhibition is over. Later, the Horticulture and Health Departments of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, have to deploy the workers to clean the mess. While the notice outside the Leisure Valley states that dogs are not allowed inside the park, organisers created a ‘Pet Zone’ at one of the stalls and people were taking pet dogs to the stall.”

Residents rued that despite the fact there are a number of options available to organise such events, the civic body selected this site for the event.

“Such events can be organised in areas such as in front of the museum in Sector 10, exhibition grounds in Sectors 17 and 34, Himachal Bhawan, Kisan Bhawan, Kalagram among others. Why spoil a green belt, which has been designed by Le Corbusier himself,” said another resident.

LaFeria Events booked the area for the exhibition from the civic body for Rs 40,000 per day. They further put up about 40 such stalls.

“We booked this area for the event. We are all start-ups and cannot book a five-star hotel. Residents have taken up the issue with me as well. The authorities should arrange some other lawn for such activities, if not this,” said Akriti Ahuja, proprietor of the company.

Meanwhile, MC Commissioner B Purushartha remained incommunicado.

An MC official said: “The approval for the same was given by the Finance and Contract Committee to raise funds. Most of the places are not with the MC. Yesterday, we got the cleaning of the area done. If still required, we will fine tune it. Two other events are booked in next two months here.”

"The area has been spoilt. They allowed vendors to drive in and park their vehicles near the stalls inside the park. Temporary electricity connections were given to various stalls. Wires with naked joints can be seen at several places, posing a serious risk to visitors. The staff and the infrastructure of the Horticulture Department of the corporation have been used for the exhibition. Temporary toilets set up at the park emit foul smell."

— Col Kulwinder Singh (retd), General Secretary, RWA

"Such events can be organised in areas such as in front of the museum in Sector 10, exhibition grounds in Sectors 17 and 34, Himachal Bhawan, Kisan Bhawan, Kalagram among others. Why spoil a green belt, which has been designed by Le Corbusier himself." 

A resident