Protest against tree felling near Rock Garden intensifies

Residents again held a protest at Uttar Marg near Rock Garden to express their concerns over the felling of trees for the UT administration’s road-widening project. A ‘Save the Forest’ campaign was conducted, with banners displayed along the roadside to raise awareness and encourage more people to join the protest.

A citizens' group, Saving Chandigarh, has staged a protest against the cutting of trees and the demolition of a section of the Rock Garden wall to make way for a parking lot near the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The protestors argue that the environmental clearance was granted only for the widening of a 0.272-hectare stretch of road, not for parking space.

Residents upset

"Trees give us pure oxygen. We don’t want our future generations to carry oxygen cylinders to breathe," said Navdeep Sharma, city resident.

"Trees play a crucial role in recharging groundwater and preventing floods. Cutting them indiscriminately threatens the city's ecological balance," said Amandeep Singh, an activist.

The Saving Chandigarh group has demanded a tree census to determine how many trees have been felled and whether it exceeds the number permitted for removal. They have also questioned the lack of public involvement in the decision-making process.

Residents highlighted that the trees in the area were planted under the guidance of renowned horticulturist and Chandigarh’s first commissioner, MS Randhawa, as part of a well-planned urban greening initiative. Each sector of Chandigarh was designed with specific tree varieties, contributing to the city’s beauty and earning it the title "The City Beautiful". The protestors insist that these trees are integral to the city's heritage and should not be sacrificed for infrastructure projects.

The demonstrators have proposed alternative solutions to manage vehicular traffic, including carpooling, basement and multi-level parking, a shuttle service to the High Court every 5 to 10 minutes, and improvements in public transport to reduce congestion and pollution.