Chandigarh admn finishes Rock Garden wall demolition work

Despite growing public outcry, the Chandigarh administration completed the demolition of a wall outside the iconic Rock Garden on the intervening night between Saturday and Sunday for a road widening and parking project.

While the demolition work had been progressing slowly since February 22, the wall’s complete clearance on Sunday morning came as a surprise to residents.

As per the UT administration, the wall was originally built to enclose the adjacent forested land and was not part of the garden designed by Nek Chand. Hence, it is not integral to Rock Garden itself, the administration told the Punjab and Haryana high court on March 7.

However, it is being relocated to accommodate the widened road and space for parking of more vehicles. A new structure, replicating the original design, will be built to maintain Rock Garden’s aesthetic integrity. The move is aimed at balancing improved traffic management with the preservation of Rock Garden’s cultural and historical significance, the court was informed.

However, as UT started demolishing the wall, on February 23, a section of some residents resorted to protests alleging that the city’s heritage is being “destroyed”. Since then, it has snowballed into a major controversy with sharp divides being seen at both ends.

Major gaps between approved drawings & actual work: Activists

Members of “Saving Chandigarh”, a group formed to save the wall, expressed displeasure over the midnight action.

“There are major discrepancies in the drawings issued by the UT environment department, showing the slip of land allowed to be converted from forest to non-forest land, and the actual work being done on site. While this drawing shows a small strip of land aligned with the existing wall of Rock Garden, the work is being done as per a drawing issued by the chief architect’s office in October 2024, in which the road has been straightened and part of the wall is required to be demolished. There is hence a huge variance between what was approved, and the much larger land now being used for straightening of the road and creation of additional parking,” said city-based social activist RK Garg, who is part of the group, adding that no environmental impact assessment had been undertaken by the administration for the work.

The group has demanded an on-site survey by the forest department to ascertain the actual number of trees cut or damaged in the process of widening of road from the Udyan Path to Rock Garden. They have further demanded accountability of the chief architect and chief engineer in the entire process for allegedly preparing drawings and carrying out works in contravention of rules regarding green spaces of the city, which are clearly notified in the Master Plan.