Diwali in Sector 17: 150-foot chip-based light tunnel to bring in more footfall

The market association of Sector 17, Business Promotion Council, is footing the entire expenditure of around Rs 12 lakh. There are about 200 shopkeepers and about 40 per cent of them have contributed to illuminating the plaza.

While speaking to The Indian Express, Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra confirmed that the civic body has given them permission as Sector 17 is the city’s heart and the lights have given it a new lease of life.

President of Business Promotion Council Neeraj Bagga told The Indian Express, “We as shopkeepers know how it is Elante vs Sector 17 now. People prefer Elante in summers but to make Sector 17 the destination for winters, we have done the lighting in a way that it attracts everyone.”

He added, “So, we have got some chip-based computerised lights which, unlike conventional ones which just blink, keep changing the designs like a palace is made sometimes or a crown. At the entrance, we have got a 150-foot-long tunnel which changes designs. Also, we have some floating white umbrellas in the air over the fountain which gives it a chic look. Till last week, not a single person was coming and today thousands of people are visiting the Sector 17 plaza.”

Other than this, all the trees have been lit up and the entrance and exit of the plaza — towards Empire Store and Sindhi Sweets — all have been covered.

The fireworks shown with the lights are remote-controlled and do not emit smoke. They just emit lights in the form of anars.

Selfie points

Bagga said that people are coming from far-off places to get shoots done in Sector 17. Also, to avoid any mishap, the majority of the wiring has been done from above and not on the ground. As many as 25 selfie points have also been created.

“We have used different combinations of lights. We have tried to do better than the foreign countries that deck up their cities on Christmas,” he added.