Chandigarh biz hub lost to apathy

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 30

While French architect Le Corbusier planned to develop Sector 34 as the second most important business hub after Sector 17, official apathy reduced it to one of the most neglected markets of the city with almost no facility for traders and visitors.

The Sector 34 sub-city centre gives an unpleasant look with wild grass, heaps of garbage, encroachments by vendors, haphazard parking, illegal hoarding, lack of adequate space for pedestrians and incomplete buildings.

The sub-city centre does not give an impression that it is a commercial hub of the city. The desired vibrancy and ambience expected of a sub-city centre is lacking here. Predominance of offices in the sector gives an impression that it is an institutional area rather than a shopping area.

By and large, the area presents a picture of neglect and chaos. Incomplete buildings of the State Library and undeveloped plaza and plots adjoining the V3 and V4 roads give an unattractive appearance to the area. Unbridled installation of ugly signboards, defacing large proportion of the front facades, and encroachments on verandahs meant for public to move about are visual disarray. Leaflets thrown all over the place by coaching institutes are also a problem.

Haphazard parking and encroachments by vendors make it difficult for people to walk freely. Lack of open spaces makes life difficult for pedestrians. There is no dividing line between pedestrians’ path and vehicular movement. 

Originally, it was planned to transform the sub-city into a hub for all business and cultural activities. A theatre street was proposed.

Of 116 acres in Sector 34, only 62 acres have been developed so far.

Convention centre project left midway

For the past 20 years, the UT Administration has failed to resume the construction of Nehru Centre for Performing Arts, a convention centre. The centre, planned to come up on 12.5 acres, was to provide state-of-the-art facilities to artistes in the region. It was to have parking space for over 2,000 cars. The main feature of the building was a theatre street, connecting the central plaza on either sides. The Chandigarh Housing Board was given the responsibility for its construction but it was abandoned due to paucity of funds.

Will prepare plan to improve facilities: Mayor

The Municipal Corporation has received Rs 50 crore for road repairs. We will start re-carpeting the roads after the monsoon is over. Encroachments in the market will not be tolerated. An anti-encroachment drive will be started soon. A detailed plan will be prepared to improve the facilities in the sub-city centre, which is developing fast. — Davesh Moudgil, Mayor 

Sector nobody’s baby

The sector has now become nobody’s baby. Earlier, the Estate Office used to take care of the market. Later, the responsibility was shifted to the Chandigarh Housing Board. After the CHB left the job, the maintenance of the sector came to the Municipal Corporation. However, the civic body has paid no attention towards the development of the sector. — Parveen Kumar Gupta, trader

Food joints mushrooming

Parking has become a major problem in the area. Another nuisance are food joints mushrooming on government land and in front of showrooms. The area has become a ‘phari’ market as there is no check on the growth of makeshift stalls. — Ajay Bansal, trader 

Potholed roads

The market is full of wild grass. Roads and parking lots are full of potholes. Water is not available in adequate quantity. Overflowing sewers is another problem in the area. The drainage system too does not work properly, causing seepage in basements. — Ajay Sharma, entrepreneur 

No check on wrong parking

As of now, the sub-city centre does not give an impression of being a commercial hub of the city. The sector is totally unorganised as people park their vehicles wherever they find the place. There is no check. — Neeraj Chaudhary, advocate