Chandigarh Administration is dismantling and reinstalling road railings to adjust their height — a Rs 1.5-crore exercise underway on Madhya Marg and the Kalka-Chandigarh stretch.
At the public expense of Rs 1.5 crore, the Chandigarh Administration is doing an interesting task — dismantling the existing road railings (guard rails) and reinstalling them after adjusting their heights. This tedious job is being done for over Rs 50 lakh at Madhya Marg and for over Rs 1 crore on the Kalka-Chandigarh stretch.
Chief Engineer CB Ojha told The Indian Express, “Heights of the railings are very low, and it was pointed out at several road safety meetings. So, we are increasing the height and then reinstalling to prevent accidents. At certain places where railings have come off, we are installing new ones.”
Speaking with The Indian Express, former nominated councillor Surinder Bahga asked why green hedges couldn’t serve the purpose? “Why couldn’t they just have green hedges like other cities. Why are they fixing railings, even after knowing that railings don’t help prevent fatal accidents? It is just a vague explanation to go ahead with installing railings,” he said.
“They are fixing railings without any authentic study about their viability in preventing accidents. We architects had opposed it, but nobody listened to us. Grand avenues are partitioned to give them a narrow look. It isn’t just ruining the city’s beauty, but also not practical. The bureaucracy-engineers’ nexus will oppose us by saying they are doing it to control accidents,” Bahga said.
Bahga said, “Railings of this height are not even needed. Bushes or green hedges are a great option.”
A heritage expert, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Why were railings not fixed properly when they were installed for it first. When they were first installing railings, people objected as it spoiled the look and scale of the road. The hedges were working well. But the traffic police would insist that people randomly crossing the road was a major hazard. If thorny hedges are installed, no one would do that. It seems this time, they have now replaced it to strengthen railings.”
“At the Madhya Marg stretch, the dismantling of the existing 9-10½ foot-long MS flat iron railing and fixing the same again after repairing, like cutting, strengthening of existing bent members, and increasing the height of the existing railings by welding 6-inch piece of channel of size 125mm x 65mm and rotate the grill after cutting the edges of horizontal angles/vertical flats welded to MS vertical channel & 9 long flat of size 50mm x 6mm welded on sharp edges is being done for lakhs,” as mentioned in the scope of work.
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The scope of work further says that they are also inserting a “12mm dia long bar placed in each vertical flat after making a suitable hole and welding with flats. The channel of railing is to be joined back-to-back with new 12mm nuts, bolts & 3-inch-long GI sleeves. The whole structure is also being painted with two coats of synthetic enamel paint”.
Second Innings Association president RK Garg said, “Railings are not environmentally friendly. The Engineering Department should prefer greens as these give a beautiful look and can be maintained with reasonable expenses rather than spending huge amounts, which require high maintenance costs.”
“Also, heritage lovers do not like railings. Several times, the railings proved hazardous as people jumped over and crossed them. In the past, such railings had to be cured from the top edges. In view of high AQI, hedges could be preferred to save on dust and particles generated,” Garg added.
Inderjit Ghai, a road consultant, said, “Bhubaneswar in Odisha has been designed on similar patterns as was Chandigarh. They have installed sleek pedestrian guard rails on both sides of the main road, with pedestrian entry points fixed, to prevent pedestrians from entering the main highway and crossing the main road. You may check the street view of Bhubaneswar. They haven’t fixed any railing in the median. It’s a serious safety hazard.”
Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.
Professional Background
Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.
Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.
Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:
1. Investigative & Financial Reporting
"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.
"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.
"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.
2. Governance & Constitutional Status
"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.
"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.
"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.
3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment
"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.
"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.
"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.
4. Lifestyle & Local Trends
"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.
"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.
Signature Beat
Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.
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