Chandigarh: In full bloom, Matka Chowk gets facelift after two years

The Cricket Stadium Chowk is maintained by Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) and is well-manicured all through the year. The winner that took everyone by surprise was Matka Chowk, the largest roundabout of the city. Once famous for hosting protests, this massive roundabout fell on hard times over past two years as was evident from its shabby state.

In June, 2018, however, Chandigarh Housing Board leased out Matka Chowk to Mumbai-based, Kailasham Foundation.

“We adopted the Matka Chowk eight months back and found it in a terrible condition. The matka was not functioning, the soil was barren and there was lot of extra uneven grass. We struggled and managed to do a face-lift, while re-energising the ambiance of the place,” said Sandeep Goyal, the man behind the foundation

He said the foundation spent around four to five lakh in beautification of the roundabout. “As per our commitment with authorities, we will continue to work with a team of eight gardeners and will try our best to score top position next year,’’ said Goyal, who was confident that once the landscaping is complete, the Matka Chowk will be a cynosure of all eyes.

On the other hand, Cricket Stadium Chowk owes its beauty to dedicated team of three gardeners and a wide variety of flowers planted by them.

“We work 5-6 hours every day to make sure our chowk is in full bloom,’’ said Kesri Singh, the gardener, adding that they tend to the flowers like babies. ‘’We also take care of health of the soil and let it fallow so that it regains its fertility,’’ he said. They also sow their own seedlings. “It’s a much more economic method of growing a garden,’’ he said.

Maintained by Fortis Healthcare since 2008, the Raj Bhavan Chowk stands out with an annual investment of three to four lakh. Munish Mourya, the contractor, said they take extra care of landscaping and seasonal flowers.