Rock Garden wall being dismantled in compliance with HC orders: UT

As residents, social activists and heritage conservationists protested the demolition of a wall of the Rock Garden at the world-famous tourist spot, the UT Administration clarified that road-widening work was being carried out in compliance with the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

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The Administration has stated that the work was aimed at decongesting the parking areas around the High Court. It also claimed the wall was not part of the Rock Garden designed by Nek Chand, but was built to enclose the adjacent forested land.

The High Court had mandated that the UT Administration should address the traffic bottlenecks caused by the jutting out corner of the Rock Garden near the multi-level parking. This is affecting the traffic flow in the area, especially near the High Court.

In response, the Administration prepared a road-widening project aimed at decongesting the parking area around the High Court. “This involves shifting a compound wall near the Rock Garden in Phase III, which, while being part of the surrounding area, is not integral to the Rock Garden itself. The wall was originally built to enclose the adjacent forested land, not part of the garden designed by Nek Chand,” stated the Administration.

The road-widening plan has been approved, with the necessary conversion of forest land to non-forest land authorised by the Government of India. The Rock Garden and its outside area is not a part of the Capitol Complex, which is an inscribed World Heritage site by UNESCO. Moreover, the proposal, which requires the shifting of the wall, has been shared with stakeholders concerned, including a sub-committee of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC), ensuring that the project aligns with the conservation efforts.

The wall will not be demolished but rather shifted to accommodate the road widening, says the Administration, adding that a new wall will be constructed that will replicate the original design, preserving the Rock Garden’s legacy and aesthetic integrity. “This approach strikes a balance between improving traffic flow and protecting the cultural and historical value of the Rock Garden created by Nek Chand,” the UT added.

The Chandigarh Administration is focused on both maintaining the Rock Garden’s legacy and enhancing traffic management in the area, said the clarification.

The background

The latest push for clearing trees and road-widening stems from a High Court order on September 25, which took note of a jutting-out corner of the Rock Garden on the South-East of the multi-level parking that was creating a bottleneck and causing severe traffic congestion. At the time, the court was informed that a proposal had already been moved to divert 0.0272 hectares of forest land for road widening. However, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had raised objections, and the matter was under consideration by the UT Administration. The High Court, emphasising the urgency of the issue, expected an expeditious resolution to ease traffic congestion.

The problem is compounded by the high volume of vehicles entering the High Court complex daily — an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 four-wheelers. The existing parking facilities, including the underground multi-tier structure with a capacity for 600 vehicles, have proven insufficient. Even an additional parking space for 200 vehicles near the Janmarg-Uttar Marg junction has failed to meet the demand. In light of this, the court has directed the Administration to find a viable parking solution that does not further disrupt the ecological balance of the area.

As part of this effort, the Administration has already deposited Rs. 22,54,689 as environmental compensation for the diversion of 0.2159 hectares of forest land located within the jutting-out portion of the Rock Garden. Balancing infrastructure needs with environmental concerns, the latest High Court order directs the UT Administration to install green pavers in kutcha parking areas and plant at least 200 trees at reasonable intervals.