City suffers from visual pollution, says UT advisory panel member

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8

The city is suffering from visual pollution because of ‘illogical’ decisions of the Administration in the name of development and beautification.

This was stated by Surinder Bahga, an architect and a member of the UT Advisory Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs, while addressing a seminar on ‘Smart Cities: Concepts and Reality’ held at Parade Ground here today.

The seminar was part of four-day interior-exterior show, which was inaugurated by UT Administrator and Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore today.

On the occasion, 15 professionals were felicitated by the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) for their services.

Bahga said the UT Administration was taking decisions with no reasoning. He added that one such example was creating underpasses. These were nothing but a wasteful spending. These were not required in the city, he added.

“The Administration should instead restore deteriorating concrete surfaces. “There are unwanted railings coming up and spoiling the city’s aesthetics. Heritage signboards are not being restored. Rather monstrous new signboards are being installed,” he said.

Navdeep Asija, traffic adviser, Punjab, and founder, Ecocabs, while giving a presentation, ‘Chandigarh — From Moving Vehicles to Moving People’, said, “We need to work on strategies to mobilise people rather than mobilising vehicles via encouraging public transport and discouraging personal transport in the city.”