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Tricity’s 12 reasons to cheer in 2023
The New Year rings in a note of optimism for residents of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. Hindustan Times shares 12 reasons to cheer in 2023 from better security, safer commute, uninterrupted water supply, faster connectivity to infra uplift and smarter facilities.
Round-the-clock water supply in Chandigarh
Chandigarh’s long wait for 24x7 water supply ends this year. The pilot project will be implemented in Sector 13 (Manimajra) in August and the entire city will be covered in phases in five years. The city has been divided into 55 district metering areas, comprising a sector each, for the project’s implementation. At present, Chandigarh gets 100 million gallons per day (MGD) that is supplied from 4am to 9am and from 5pm to 9pm. Conceived seven years ago, the ₹578-crore project aims to prevent wastage by minimising storage, reducing leakage and introducing smart meters for all 1.77 lakh connections besides limiting dependence on groundwater.
Sector 17 to regain lost glory
The UT administration is pumping the beat back in the heart of Chandigarh. Once a showpiece shopping plaza, Sector 17 had lost its charm and clientele to glitzy malls in recent years. Though the administration came up with a rejuvenation plan four years ago, it is set to be implemented this year with vibrant landscaping, food courts, a new fountain, sculpture plaza, new pavements, furniture and uniform lighting in the works. A 30x30 metre map of Chandigarh, engraved in front of Neelam Theatre using metal, stone and concrete, an open-air theatre near Bank Square and a 180-metre tabletop pathway for pedestrians behind Neelam will be completed by March. Work to restore the facade of government buildings in the sector, through cleaning, repairs, anti-corrosive treatment and re-plastering will be done by June.
In the 5G league
Chandigarh tricity is among 13 select cities across the country to get 5G mobile connectivity. The fifth generation of long-term evolution (LTE) or 5G mobile broadband network is the latest upgrade designed to link a wider range of devices than smart phones and to provide significantly faster speeds and capacity. Telecom giants Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea have established 5G trial sites in Chandigarh. UT director Rupesh Aggarwal is upbeat: “We are all geared up, now it’s up to the telecom companies. We have provided information pertaining to ‘street furniture’. The suppliers will be installing small towers or transmitters across poles and bus queue shelters.”
IAF heritage centre to take flight in Feb
The Indian Air Force’s heritage centre will be opened at the Government Press Building in Sector 18, one of the oldest buildings of the city, in February. Another destination on Chandigarh’s tourism map, the centre will have eight attractions, including a flight simulator, aircraft models and weapon displays. Besides informative exhibits about aero engines, aircraft and machines/fixtures films on achievements and personalities will be shown. A MiG-21 and a G-NAT aircraft will be installed at a cost of ₹25.6 lakh. There will also be a souvenir shop at the museum. The Press Building, designed by English architect Edwin Maxwell Fry, who was part of the Chandigarh Capitol Project Team headed by Pierre Jeanneret, came up in 1953. In addition to its glass facade, the building is fitted with louvered sunshades, an attractive method to obstruct undesired sun and heat while allowing natural light to stream through. Categorised as a Grade-1 heritage structure, no interventions are permitted either on the exterior or interior of the building or natural features unless it is necessary for strengthening and prolonging its life.
Easing birth pangs: Mother and child care centre in Panchkula
The mother and child care unit being built at a cost of ₹100 crore in Panchkula will be ready this year. With the construction of the new centre, housed in an eight-floor building, will offer state of the art health care facilities to expecting and new mothers. The centre will have a dedicated floor for operation theatres for which latest technology is being installed. This will ease the occupancy pangs that are overburdened at present with two or more mothers sharing a bed.
Easier commute with rail overbridge in Panchkula
The long-pending ₹30.54-crore railway overbridge in Panchkula will be ready by this month-end. Though construction began in 2019, the project missed several deadlines. It is now on track and set to make the commute easier for residents of Sector 19 and adjoining Baltana town. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar took stock of the construction last week and was told that work will be completed this month. The CM asked officials to ensure it’s ready for opening on Republic Day.
With body cameras, expect cut in corruption among cops
Chandigarh Traffic Police has bought 100 body cameras for its personnel to ensure transparency in working and check corruption. Every challaning official will need to wear a body camera. The recordings of these cameras will offer crucial evidence while dealing with complaints of corruption and misbehaviour by or with traffic cops. The control room will get intimation whenever a camera is switched on or off. Not just this, to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists, a centre of excellence will be operational in collaboration with Punjab Engineering College to analyse accident data, causes and offer suggestions to bring down road fatalities.
5,000 CCTVs in Mohali for better surveillance
Mohali police are installing 5,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at key points to keep a check on anti-social elements and traffic violators. Before the Punjab government approved a ₹5-crore budget for the cameras, Mohali had only 400 CCTVs as compared to 2,200 in Chandigarh. In the first phase, cameras are being put up at 78 crossings, including those in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi. Given the rise in incidence of carjackings, this initiative should prove to be a deterrent.
Kharar, Mullanpur come closer via Airport Road
The ₹150-crore project of extending Airport Road from Kharar to New Chandigarh will be ready this year. Starting from the dividing road of Sectors 120/125, Sunny Enclave, Kharar, the stretch will connect New Chandigarh (Mullanpur), cutting the distance between the two towns by 5km and easing traffic congestion in Chandigarh. People headed from Mullanpur to the airport can bypass Chandigarh and the 8-km stretch will give travellers coming from Ambala and Delhi direct access to Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority had planned to acquire 120 acres at Jandpur, Hasanpur, Thaska, Palheri, Bahalpur, Ranai Majra and Saini Majra villages for the purpose but its efforts hit a roadblock when residents of Palheri and Jandpur took it to court, demanding ₹2.7 crore per acre instead of the ₹83 lakh per acre offered.
World Cup-ready PCA stadium in Mullanpur
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur will be ready for the ODI World Cup that India hosts in October-November. Spread over 41.95 acres, the ₹230-crore stadium hosted its maiden Ranji Trophy match between Punjab and Chandigarh recently. Construction was delayed due to infighting in the Punjab Cricket Association and the Covid pandemic. Equipped with seven pitches and two international standard dressing rooms, a world-class gym, the stadium has Ground B for state matches and practice sessions of international teams.
New sports policy for Chandigarh
The Chandigarh administration will come out with its new sports policy along with job opportunities and cash incentives for medal winners. While Haryana and Punjab have well-documented sports policies for winners, Chandigarh athletes are a forgotten lot. UT adviser Dharam Pal says the new sports policy will be implemented in a few months. He says there is proposal for 5% reservation for posts of constable in the UT under the new policy. The Chandigarh administration plans an MoU with the UT Cricket Association and hand over the Sector 16 stadium to the cricket body on lease.
Sector 26 market to get new address
After two decades, the UT administration will shift its fruit and vegetable market in Sector 26 to Sector 39 in March. Two decades after earmarking land in Sector 39 for a fruit and vegetable market, the UT administration will shift its Sector 26 market there. UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit approved the auction of 92 shop-cum-offices at the market on freehold basis on December 15. The market was planned in 2002 to decongest the Sector-26 grain market, where there is no room for expansion. Preference will be given to existing licencees at the Sector-26 market. Of the 170 licencees, 30 deal in grains and the rest in fruits and vegetables. The administration had acquired 75 acres in Sector 39 in 1990 and earmarked land for the vegetable market in 2002.
Inputs by Hillary Victor, Shailee Dogra, Tanbir Dhaliwal, Nikhil Sharma and Shalini Gupta
