Gurgaon to go green on Chandigarh model

Corporate firms are now looking within the country and want to emulate the model of state capital Chandigarh for beautification and increasing the green cover.

Developing Gurgaon on the lines of cities in China, the USA and UK are now passé as corporate firms are now looking within the country and want to emulate the model of state capital Chandigarh for beautification and increasing the green cover.

Gurgaon-based company Nagarro has adopted a 200-metre on the Jwala Mill road in Gurgaon. (HT Photo)

In several previous meetings of civic and administrative bodies, proposals of following offshore models for beautifying the city were put forth but to little effect so far.

Now, a consortium of corporate firms have decided to follow the Chandigarh model to beautify roundabouts and roadsides in the city. A total of 19 companies have adopted road crossings, service lanes and roads near their offices for this purpose.

“We have been looking at Europe and USA but developing the city in the lines of Chandigarh will be great. Chandigarh is developed beautifully and well maintained, and the same can be done here (Gurgaon),” Deepak Ohlyan, executive director of Dell and regional member of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), said.

The initiative by Nasscom has attracted 50 more companies that will be joining the venture soon, a spokesperson said. The consortium presented the model before chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar during the launch of the Green Gurgaon initiative on Sunday. The presentation showed pictures of green stretches in Chandigarh, the city designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier.

Ohlyan said the association has identified some trees that can sustain in Gurgaon’s local climate and increase the green cover. Each company will adopt 100 to 200-metre areas near its office and beautify the area in consultation with the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon.

“We have converted a 200-metre stretch into a beautiful landscape on Jwala Mill road. The area that was filled with garbage is now covered with trees, paintings and artefacts,” Megha Jain, spokesperson of Nagarro, a software development and business consulting company, said.