Cleared by House, Rs 12.44-crore project to uproot ‘intact’ pavers, re-lay new ones
A report by the Forest Research institute in 2019 had found that over-concreting was one of the key reasons because of which trees in the city had suddenly begun to collapse.
The Chairman, Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC), Baljinder Singh Bittu. In the recent house meeting, pavers worth Rs 12.44 crore were approved. Strangely, most of the paver agendas will see uprooting the existing tiles and pavers and to be installed fresh.
Even uprooting will cost lakhs to the exchequer.
The Chairman, Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC), Baljinder Singh Bittu, told The Indian Express, “This is their usual feature. They keep taking out old pavers which are in good condition and then install new ones. This has been happening for years yet there is no proper inquiry or investigation. In any sector if you see, they are doing the same thing.”
Vinod Vashisht, Convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO) said, “Residents across the city are raising serious doubts on the real need of relaying or replacing of paver blocks which are currently happening at some places in the city even though these might be not required at all. MC engineering wing should strictly base its decisions purely on technical grounds and should not buckle under any pressure or obligation even on the pretext that F&CC has already approved such work in a budget constrained corporation.”
A report by the Forest Research institute in 2019 had found that over-concreting was one of the key reasons because of which trees in the city had suddenly begun to collapse.
A few days ago, the UT Chief Architect in a letter had objected that no pavers or tiles even along footpaths on V6 roads be constructed. He had also written a letter on October 30, 2018, which stated, “As per Chandigarh master plan 2031, construction of footpaths is not recommended along internal V6 roads due to less volume of traffic and to avoid excessive hard surfaces in the city to maintain the green character of neighbourhoods. It is also pertinent to mention that MC has already placed paver blocks along most of the V6 roads, which are used for parking of vehicles and have actually blocked the pedestrian movement. This is a very serious concern, it should be given due attention to save the existing tree cover of the city.”
For a period of time, every paver related work was halted after the then Commissioner had suspected over installation of pavers everywhere.
Here are some of the places where it will be raining pavers:
Shivalik enclave for Rs 1.32 crore
The House approved the agenda of undertaking the work of providing and fixing 60mm thick paver blocks in Shivalik Enclave, Sector 13, NAC Manimajra, Chandigarh, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.32 crore. The project, it was said, was initiated following a request from the Area Councillor, citing damaged pavements at multiple locations that require repair “in the interest of public convenience and safety”.
The scope of work includes laying kerbs, fixing precast cement concrete channels, carrying out cement concrete work and replacing old interlocking paver blocks with new 60mm thick factory-made pavers. The expenditure will be booked under the “Improvement of Roads/Parking Places and Infrastructure Facilities” head, and the proposal was placed before the recent General House of the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh for approval.
In Burail for Rs 1.63 crore
The civic body brought in a proposal for the reconstruction of streets in Burail village, specifically around the Library and nearby areas, using 80 mm thick cement concrete paver blocks. The estimated project cost is Rs. 1.63 crore. The scope of work again included removal of existing interlocking paver blocks, manual demolition of concrete, preparation of the subgrade, and installation of new paver blocks. The expenditure is to be charged under the “Infrastructure facilities in villages/Area merged under MC” head.
Pavers worth Rs 96.4 lakh at Sector 22C
The agenda item concerns the upgradation of flooring on both the front and back sides of the market/showrooms in Sector 22-C with an estimated cost of Rs. 96.36 lakh. The proposal was yet again initiated following a request from the Area Councillor, and a site inspection was conducted by officials along with the councillor and SDE. A cost estimate with the expenditure is to be charged under the “Capital Head” for improvement of road parking places and infrastructure facilities.
At EWS Dadu Majra Colony for Rs 91.02 lakh
The proposal for the repair of PCC tiles on footpaths along roads in EWS Dadu Majra Colony, Chandigarh, with an estimated cost of Rs 91.02 lakh was approved. The need for the work arises from the deteriorated condition of existing tiles, which are uneven and missing in several areas. These deficiencies, it was said, lead to water accumulation during rainfall, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and accelerating further damage. The expenditure was to be covered under the capital head for “Basic Amenities/Services in Rehabilitation Colonies (EWS).”
Main roads in Dadumajra Colony at Rs 71.40 lakh
The proposal concerned the reconstruction of footpaths along the main roads in Dadumajra Colony, Chandigarh, with a rough estimated cost of Rs 71.40 lakh. The need for this work arose from the deteriorated condition of the existing paver blocks, which are uneven and missing in several areas. Inspections have revealed that these damaged stretches lead to water accumulation during rainfall, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and accelerating further damage, it was said.
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