CHANDIGARH:The growth of Chandigarh as a commercial hub has pulled in lot of humans wanting
to eke out a living by doing odd errands. This led to proliferation of slums and squatter settlements.
In turn, it has defeated the idea of Le Corbusier of ‘beautiful city.’ Though the city is small in size but
seems to be big at heart. This holds true for Chandigarh whose ‘Open Hand’ symbol symbol9izes the
spirit of giving it to others.
Sandwitched between Punjab and Haryana and admitting of little scope for horizontal
expansion. But it has opened its heart out to its slum dwellers and result is that city could not bear
the burden of slums. Living in pitiable conditions with scarcity of civic amenities and filth. Out of the
2811 acres of net available land, the Chandigarh Administration has earmarked 356 acres for
rehabilitation of slum dwellers.
The issue of rehabilitation of slum dwellers, who, going by the script of the plan, will now
be housed in 18 colonies at eight different locations across the city is a perfect example of failure of
the authority in providing honourable life which is being enjoyed by the residents of sectors.
The city has a total area of 28, 170 acres. Major part of the city, say about 19, 389 acres, is
covered by the residential sectors from Sector 1 to Sector 63. Then Chandigarh has 1, 272.56 acres of
Defence Land; 316.28 acres of railway land; reserved forest cover of 2, 718.10 acres and Manimajra
spread over 963.69 acres. All this totals up to 24, 659 acres, leaving the city with on 3, 511 acres of
land located on its periphery.
With the IT Park has been allotted 700 acres, the net available land works out to 2, 811
acres, out of which the Administration, living up to the spirit of ‘Open Hand’ symbol, has given 356
acres, say close to 20 per cent, for resettlement of the slum dwellers. Find the shortage of pricey
land, it was indeed a herculean task before the administration to identify and earmark 356 acres of
of land for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers, said the official of the Administratiuon and added that
the pressure on land in Chandigarh, the gateway to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and Haryana is
mounting by the day with the city is emerging as a hub of economic activity.
According to the findings of a survey, 23, 841 slum families, consisting of more than one
lakh people, have been found eligible for flats; 90 per cent of slum families are nuclear in size; the
monthly income of 85 per cent ranges between Rs 1000 and Rs 3000; 81 per cent have been living in
the city for more than 10 years and 35 per cent for more than 20 yuears.
In beginning, the administration was going by the precept that India can shine only if
Bharat does and the administration was resolved to make its rehabilitation colonies hold a candle to
any developed sector of Chadigarh. Out to make all slums and villages wear an urbane look, dquip
these with modern basic facilities and improve the q2uality of life of its rural poor did not give
desired results and ‘Bharat’ could not turn into ‘India.”
In Maloya around 10, 000 slum dwellers are rehabilitated but still it is lacked in civic
amenities, market, dispensary, and living in filth. If one wish to see city beautiful one should visit the
slums areas.
Half-hearted initiaktives of the administration are scares on the face of City Beautiful.