Pavers not right path, look for better alternatives

The excessive use of paver blocks is a threat to the greenery in the city. Chandigarh is called City Beautiful because of its greenery. It is the soul of the city. One feels refreshed walking on roads decked up with flowers or grass. Its uniqueness will disappear with a transition to a concrete jungle. In place of paver blocks, the Municipal Corporation (MC) should take steps to maintain the greenery in the city. Sincere efforts and hard labour should be put in to keep the beauty and soul of the city alive. Residents should also feel responsible and take utmost care to maintain the green image of the city. They should not damage the city’s property and beauty.

Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh

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Impacts environment

With the passage of time, the use of paver blocks has increased immensely for beautification purposes. Besides, paver blocks are used on berms of most city roads. A paved surface has an adverse environmental effect as it prevents recharging of groundwater. A paved surface absorbs heat from the sun and subsequently releases it in the night, increasing the atmospheric temperature. Notwithstanding such effects, the Chandigarh MC has earmarked Rs 26 crore for paver blocks. This move must be checked. Laying of paver blocks must be judicious. The money thus saved can be used for public welfare schemes.

SS Arora, Mohali

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Wasteful expenditure

Paver blocks eat away the green cover besides impacting groundwater recharging. These also obstruct the growth of trees. Their use should be stopped and the funds thus saved should be utilised for other development works. Paver blocks laid without a proper plan do not help pedestrians either. At every 10 metres, a tree comes in their way, forcing pedestrians to come on to the road.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

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MC using funds mindlessly

Despite objections by residents and the Chief Architect, the Municipal Corporation (MC) is spending taxpayers’ money on paver blocks mindlessly. There is much scope of corruption due to lack of monitoring. The MC should spend funds to provide basic amenities to city residents. Furthermore, laying of paver blocks harms the green cover, stops seepage of water and causes accumulation of water during rain.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

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Strike a balance between greenery, paver blocks

The use of paver blocks has improved the architectural beauty and made walking a pleasure in markets and city parks. Paver blocks must be used at the place visited by a large number of people. Paver blocks fixed under benches prevent the accumulation of water during rain. As excess of everything is bad, so is the excessive use of paver blocks. These should not be fixed around trees. These should be fixed after leaving a little gap. According to environmentalists, the use of paver blocks prevents the recharge of groundwater. However, the laying of paver blocks with holes and suitable bedding material, which allows water to permeate into the ground, can solve this problem to a great extent. There is definitely a need to maintain a balance between the greenery and the fixing of paver blocks. We can depend upon the Chandigarh Administration and the MC to do the right thing in the end.

Gursharan Singh Bedi, Mohali

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Everyone has right to safe passage

Paver blocks should be used prudently across the city. Residents have a right to safe passage across the city. They need paver blocks for a smooth walk along roads across the city. The MC needs to fulfil this requirement and ensure that such passages are cost-effective. The greenery across the city is of utmost importance and should be taken care of. Paver blocks should not be used around trees. Fix paver blocks at a distance to let trees live.

Dr Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh

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Form panel to identify right footpaths

The MC should constitute a committee comprising the Chief Architect and the landscape officer to identify most frequently used footpaths, which need to be covered with paver blocks. The trees in the city should not be surrounded by paver blocks. Tt should be ensured that these have a strong base. This will certainly help maintaining the paver blocks.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

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Focus on other civic amenities instead

The MC Commissioner has bowed to the pressure exerted by the higher authorities. He has taken the decision without any consideration. The Chief Architect should prohibit the use of paver blocks around trees. The thumb rule is that some distance should be kept between a fully grown tree and paver blocks. The use of paver blocks on footpaths will spell a trouble for pedestrians. For senior citizens and handicapped, their use will make walking difficult. The city MP should intervene immediately. The city should focus on solving other civic issues instead of spending funds on paver blocks.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain

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Prevent aeration, groundwater recharge

The use of paver blocks must be stopped by the MC at all cost. Paver blocks not only restrict the recharge of groundwater but also hamper the process of aeration due to which many trees in the city have starting dying prematurely. Moreover, the Chief Architect has banned their use on V6 roads and around trees. So, the MC should not ignore the guidelines issued by the Chief Architect.

AP Singh, Chandigarh

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Find alternatives

The City Beautiful is not only famous throughout the world for its architecture but also for its greenery. Chandigarh is a planned city. So, there needs to be planning for the greenery in the city too. But, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is going too far in its mission cleanliness by making the excessive use of paver blocks. These paver blocks are a direct threat to the greenery in the city. The MC is adding to already fast spreading concrete jungle in the city. The MC is opting for paver blocks as these need less maintenance. Once fixed, these do not need repair. But the green grass and similar options need proper maintenance. Just to save few pennies, the MC should not go in for paver blocks. It must find other alternatives.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

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Strike a balance

No doubt, by using paver blocks, we will lose some greenery but we are left with no alternative due to an increase in the number of vehicles. The city has the maximum number of registered in the country. Residents are advised to plant saplings inside their house and other open spaces while using the concrete space outside their house for the parking of vehicles. The MC should make efforts to cover open spaces with greenery. We need to strike a balance between the two.

Sukhpal Singh, Chandigarh

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Keep greenery of city intact

The excessive use of paver blocks in Chandigarh is not in the interest of the city as it will certainly impact the green cover. The identity of Chandigarh as one of the environment-friendly cities will be in danger if the use of paver block continues. Beautification at the cost of greenery is not a rational exercise. Moreover, the excessive use of paver blocks will pose a threat to water security by hampering groundwater recharge. Let us all strive to keep the greenery of the city intact.

Rajendra Kumar Garg, Zirakpur

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Not a wise choice

About three months ago, the Municipal Corporation moved to stall development works due to a paucity of funds. But to the surprise of many, the MC went for the laying of paver blocks, even at places where it was not required. Paver blocks can’t withstand daily wear and tear. Soon, cracks will develop in these.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

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Let residents maintain area outside houses

Paver blocks pose a threat to the greenery in the city. Many residents had kept the area outside their houses green but the MC destroyed the greenery without applying much thought. Now, they will cover the area around trees with paver blocks. This leaves no place for the seepage of water into the ground. The maintenance the area outside houses should be left to residents.

Anokh Singh Kahlon, Mohali

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Explore other oprions

Laying of paver blocks on footpaths that cannot sustain grass did help contain wild growth but their excessive use has turned urban areas into a concrete jungle, hampering the recharge of groundwater. This has posed a threat to the greenery. The need of the hour is to be selective and switch to other options.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Cemented paths better option

Cemented footpaths will be a better option because of their cost-effectiveness and longevity. These take less time in construction and reduce chances of corruption. On the other hand, paver blocks need a large budget with minimum benefits to the public.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

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Go for permeable technology

In future, we will see the use of alternative material for the construction of footpaths. Permeable blocks are being used increasingly. Permeable pavement, also known as pervious or porous paving, is a type of hard surfacing that allows rainfall to pass through it into the ground below. Currently, concrete footpaths and paver block prevent the recharge of groundwater. Permeable pavement is an excellent tool in helping restore the natural water cycle in urban areas.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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QUESTION  

What will be the best mode of transport for city residents? The issue was raised again during a meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, where political leaders were seen divided over the issue. While former MPs Pawan Kumar Bansal and Satya Pal Jain  rooted for the Metro project, city MP Kirron Kher favoured monorail.   

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