Warding off a concrete jungle

But before the new scheme is approved and floated, the Chandigarh Administration must ensure that all snags relating to the Modern Housing Complex are removed. This scheme which was launched with such fanfare many years ago has been utterly neglected. In fact, such was the sorry state of affairs that for many years people were reluctant to move in. Though of late, things have improved a little, problems still remain. Not only have there been brazen encroachments, very little has been done to develop proper recreational facilities there. A development plan for the old Manimajra town should also be prepared.

Since the proposed housing scheme will be developed in marla denomination, it can be safely presumed that multi-storied flats will come up. In the coming years too, there will be a lot of pressure on Manimajra township due to paucity of land elsewhere in the UT. Therein lies the danger of the area developing as one big concrete monster like some of the southern sectors.

This underlines the need for ensuring that enough open spaces and playing fields are planned. There is also need for proper landscaping of the area (and drainage) so that the place is not choked during the rains. Since the burgeoning Manimajra township will have a separate entity from the rest of Chandigarh, a garden on the lines of the one recently made in Sector 36 should be planned.

A club house and perhaps a water feature should also be planned there. Unless all this is done now, the land sharks will gradually engulf the available land in the name of development and housing.