Speaking over the 'demolition' of a Rock Garden wall for road-widening work, the Chandigarh administration clarified that the said structure was not integral to the sculpture garden created by Nek Chand. The statement of the UT administration comes after the residents and social activists in Chandigarh staged a protest against the 'demolition' of the wall.
Heritage conservationists, city residents, and social activists gathered at the site on Sunday to protest the decision of the authorities.
However, the Chandigarh administration said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had mandated that the administration should address traffic bottlenecks caused by the jutting-out corner of the Rock Garden near the multi-level parking area.
It said the administration is working on a road widening project aimed at decongesting the parking areas around the Punjab and Haryana High Court here.
"Importantly, the wall will not be demolished but rather shifted to accommodate the road widening project. A new wall will be constructed that will replicate the original design, preserving the Rock Garden's legacy and aesthetic integrity," an official statement said.
The approach strikes a balance between improving the traffic flow and protecting the cultural and historical values of the Rock Garden created by Nek Chand, it said.
The Rock Garden was built by Nek Chand solely from discarded waste materials from homes and industrial items, and the sculptures were created by him using items such as bangles, ceramic pots, tiles, bottles, and electric waste.
It attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of the country and the world.
Meanwhile, carrying posters in their hands against the demolition move, the protesters claimed that the administration could have come up with alternate solutions for the road widening work.
Dubbing the move a "very sad day in the history of Chandigarh", Advocate M L Sarin posted on X, "So sorry Nek Chand Saini, your precious creation is being demolished in part to make way for a road and parking lot for polluting vehicles. We, the people of Chandigarh and the administration, have let you down, that too in your birth centenary year. I have tears in my eyes."
The administration's statement said, "The High Court of Punjab and Haryana, in its ruling regarding CWP-PIL-9-2023 (O&M) and related cases, mandated that the Chandigarh administration address the traffic bottleneck caused by the jutting out corner of the Rock Garden near the multi-level parking. This is impacting the traffic flow in the area, especially near the high court."
"In response, the Chandigarh administration is working on a road widening project aimed at decongesting the parking areas around the high court. This involves shifting a compound wall near the Rock Garden in Phase 3, which, while part of the surrounding area, is not integral to the Rock Garden itself."
The wall was originally built to enclose the adjacent forested land, not part of the garden designed by Nek Chand, it said.
"The plan for road widening has been approved, with the necessary conversion of forest land to non-forest land authorised by the government of India," the statement said.
The Rock Garden and its outside area is not a part of the Capitol complex, which is an inscribed World Heritage site by UNESCO, it added.
"Moreover, the proposal requiring shifting of the wall was shared with the relevant stakeholders, including the sub-committee of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC), ensuring that the project aligns with the conservation efforts," the statement said.
The UT administration is focused on both maintaining the Rock Garden's legacy and enhancing traffic management in the area, it said.
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