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Chandigarh: 8 years on, work on multi-level parking at PGI to begin this week
The standing finance committee of PGIMER, Chandigarh, had approved the construction of a second multi-level car parking facility next to the institute’s New OPD in 2015, but the project experienced multiple delays over the past eight years
Conceived eight years ago, work on the second multi-level parking at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is finally set to commence in the coming week.
The standing finance committee of PGIMER had approved the construction of a second multi-level car parking facility next to the institute’s New OPD in 2015, but the project experienced multiple delays over the past eight years.
Estimated to cost ₹63 crore, the new parking facility will be set up on approximately 26,000 square metres of land, and feature seven floors and a basement. With each floor set to accommodate approximately 80 cars, the structure will have a total capacity of around 680 cars.
As per sources in PGIMER, the drawings and maps of the project are in the final stage. Following recent approval from the standing finance committee, the project has been given the go-ahead for implementation.
Speaking about the project, PGIMER deputy director (administration) Kumar Gaurav Dhawan said, “To ease the traffic woes at PGIMER, construction of the multi-level parking is expected to start in the first week of July.”
Notably, the current available parking space within the institute can accommodate only 3,753 cars, even though around 20,000 vehicles enter the campus daily.
The existing three-storey parking facility in front of New OPD can accommodate approximately 600 cars.
While PGIMER faculty members have been provided five free parking spaces, and nursing and other staff members have access to 12 free parking lots, the limited parking spaces for patients leads to daily chaos.
Due to the inadequate parking space, visitors are forced to park their vehicles on internal roads, leading to traffic snarls. During the busiest OPD hours (8 am to 10 am), finding a parking spot can take over 30 minutes.
Consequently, visitors are often compelled to park their vehicles as far as near the Nursing Institute and Research Block that requires a 15-minute walk to return to New OPD, a major hassle for patients and their attendants. Cars parked on roads are frequently towed away, further adding to their woes.
According to a New OPD staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, the parking problem extended beyond just patients, as it affected staff members as well: “Many employees are unable to find parking spaces for their vehicles due to the overwhelming presence of patient vehicles occupying their parking spots.”
PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal said, “Work on the project will begin soon and the construction is expected to be completed within the next year and a half. The tender for the project has already been allotted.”
