Group of Environmentalists request MP Tewari to asses environmental impact due to demolition of Rock Garden Wall

Group of Environmentalists request MP Tewari to asses environmental impact due to demolition of Rock Garden Wall

Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ April 6,2025

A group of environmentalists and citizens of City Beautiful met Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and handed over a memorandum to asses environmental impact due to demolition of Rock Garden Wall by UT administration.

“We are a group of concerned environmentalists and citizens of Chandigarh. As we know you are concerned about environmental issues.  The recent axing of trees in the Rock Garden area in Chandigarh which is situated in forest land. This area also comes under ESZ and is in Sukhna Lake’s catchment area And as the Road between Rock Garden and HC was having a traffic congestion and environmental clearances were given by MoEF&CC for road widening and road straightening. For this an area of 0.0272 hectares and 0.2195 hectares has been converted from forest land to non forest land in accordance with the environmental clearances and the High Court orders” said Samita Kaur

Paveela Bali said “Would like to bring to your attention once again that this is only for Road widening and straightening. And in this regard we feel that these points need to be addressed to ensure compliance with MoEF&CC.”

Amandeep Singh, Harleen Sekhon ,Alisha Bansal said our concerns are as follows :

1. Conversion of Forest Land to Non – Forest in accordance with environmental clearances: The environmental clearances as per MoEF&CC are only for road widening and straightening to ease out traffic flow. Hence, the area should only be used as a passage for vehicular traffic flow. And not used as a parking area. Which we are witnessing . Pictures are attached .
2. Environmental Impact assessment : The function of land use was road widening but parking is being created as kucha parking where the land has been converted from forest to non forest land. These are in violation of the approvals taken. We also want an environmental impact assessment of the concerned area which is mandatory in such cases. This is required as per SC guidelines for conversion of Forest Land to Non Forest Land to understand the implications on ecological balance and biodiversity of the region.
3. Assessment of time saved : The vehicular flow of traffic needs to be assessed. The citizens request a traffic flow assessment and filing of a report to know the total amount of time saved with implementation of this project.
4. Tree census to ascertain the number of trees axed : In our observation the number of trees axed exceeds the number of trees approved to be axed. According to information available to us, approval of the trees to be axed was 50. We request a tree census to ascertain the exact number of trees axed.
5. Compensatory afforestation as per MoEF&CC : Compensatory and Compulsory Afforestation to be undertaken as mentioned in the HC orders and by MoEF&CC which is to be done within a stipulated time period of one year. We request that this is to be done under the supervision of the forest department and our citizens group and concerned environmentalists of the city. Routine follow up of the same.
6. Assessment of the damage done to the wall : The order clearly mentions that the rock garden wall was to be shifted and not be demolished. But this was clearly contradictory to the orders. We request restoration of the wall closest to its original form with the original material used on it. With expert supervision.
7. Strict Action for negligence : We request you to hold accountability of the concerned officials of Engineering department, Forest Department, Urban Planning, Heritage committee, Rock Garden society and other concerned departments for not being present for supervision of environmental impact regarding the dumping the muck or debris in the Green zone or Forest Area. Also, to hold them accountable for negligence as regards to the demolition of the Rock Garden Wall where important original articles used in its creation have been lost in debris. These pieces are required in restoration work of the wall for recreating or replication nearest to the original form. As this was an art piece created by Padma Shri Nek Chand ji and every tiny piece lost in this entire process amounts to a National Loss .
8. We also request a periodical tree census and digital tree adhaar for the trees of Chandigarh based on the system adopted by Jammu and Kashmir’s forest department on directives of MoEF&CC.

Group of Environmentalists request MP Tewari to asses environmental impact due to demolition of Rock Garden Wall. The group requested him to consider these points and take suitable action in this regard.