The committee also stated that the mango trees, which will be uprooted for construction of the flyover project, are part of Heritage Grade-I as they fall within Heritage Zone-1X.
Talking about the Sector 29 flyover project, the master plan committee wrote to UT Adviser, VP Singh Badnore specifying that the “Chandigarh Administration is insisting on going ahead with the project despite objections by the department of urban planning,” on Monday.
Raising objections against the flyover, the master plan committee stated, “It has come to our notice that the department of urban planning has pointed out that the proposed project is in contravention of the CMP-2031 and has not given its concurrence to the project. In fact, CMP-2031 explicitly says that flyovers are not recommended to be constructed in the entire city of Chandigarh. It astonishes us that even when the Department of Urban Planning has opposed the project, the administration is insisting on going ahead with the project. We are constrained to state that in a planned city like Chandigarh, the dismissal of the opinion of the Department of Urban Planning is a matter of grave nature, and any such practice could gravely impact the identity of Chandigarh.”
The committee also stated that the mango trees, which will be uprooted for construction of the flyover project, are part of Heritage Grade-I as they fall within Heritage Zone-1X.
“Being placed under Heritage Grade-l, they deserve the same protection as Sukhna Lake and Capitol Complex. CMP-2031 clearly states ‘No inter alia interventions be permitted either on exterior or interior of the heritage building or natural features unless it is necessary in the interest of strengthening and prolonging the life of the buildings/or precincts or any part or features thereof.’ Moreover, the mango orchards, which constitute ‘Open Spaces’ are inviolable and were declared so as to prevent them from being diverted to other land uses,” stated the committee.
The committee further added, “it has come to our notice that the project was got approved by a sub-committee of Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) and not by the CHCC,” adding, “we deem it important to apprise you that the mandate of the sub-committee of CHCC is to advise and assist the Department of Urban Planning in ‘handling minor issues of routine nature.’ Interfering and part-destruction of Heritage Grade-I is beyond the scope of the sub-committee of CHCC. We are shocked to see the preposterous mechanism adopted to bypass the necessary checks in the system to protect Heritage Grade-I.”
The committee further observed that the traffic woes of Chandigarh will not be alleviated through an isolated and ad hoc project at a randomly chosen junction.
“The solution to the traffic woes lies in a holistic Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chandigarh Urban Complex, with emphasis on providing effective mass rapid transport. On the contrary, an ad hoc project such as the proposed project will only impede the implementation of Comprehensive Mobility Plan in the Tricity and is akin to digging the grave of a Comprehensive Mobility Plan. It is also important to realise that considering a substantial amount of traffic in the city of Chandigarh comes from neighbouring districts of SAS Nagar and Panchkula, any solution regarding the traffic issues will be possible only if the Tricity looks to tackle it together,” stated the committee.
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It further said that the need of the hour is to focus on public transport, pedestrians and non-motorised transport.
“Therefore, it seems absurd that huge amounts of money are being spent on a private motor-vehicle centric project. Flyovers, in addition to attracting latent demand for more private vehicles, also do not reduce the congestion but merely push the traffic congestion to the next node. Urban planning experts across the world have deprecated the idea of flyovers as being outdated and ineffective in providing any effective solution to the traffic woes,” they observed.
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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