Flyovers, tunnels for Shimla proposed

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 24

The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) today mulled construction of two flyovers, tunnels and internal city travel service, pedestrian path along the Circular Road and fire safe heritage structures. These proposals were put forward by various stakeholders for CRISIL, a consultant of the SMC, to incorporate these in the revised City Development Plan (CDP).

The stakeholders came out with these suggestions to decongest the city at a meeting of the CDP committee chaired by Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar here. The meeting was attended by 24 representatives from the MC, Town and Country Planning, Tourism, HRTC, PWD, Urban Development, finance specialists, CRISIL, UNDP and HP State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL).

The revised CDP vision document for 2041 aims at creating infrastructure for the needs of the city, Panwar told The Tribune after the meeting. “Shimla has no such plan and all ad hoc plans are imposed from outside”, he added.

The CDP had been assigned to CRISIL Infrastructure Private Ltd by the SMC. The meeting finalised sectoral plan and projects, strategies and investment plan for the city based on discussions with sectoral heads of different stakeholders, he added.

Following fire incidents, the stakeholders suggest the advanced fire prevention system for all heritage structures. The heritage structures would be made attractive with decorative lights to take care of disaster and climate change.

Under the e-governance, the stakeholders agreed to make Shimla a wi-fi city, taking care of the needs of the city’s younger generation and hordes of tourists. To rev up the MC’s poor finances, the stakeholders suggest to restructure its administrative setup and raise funds through various revenue sources.

To make Shimla garbage-free, the stakeholders suggest that the city needs a de-centralised waste segregation system and composting and incineration facilities to use waste.

Panwar said CRISIL had also been asked to incorporate all comments submitted by the Ministry of Urban Development and the MC in the CDP before it submitted its final report to the CDP committee chaired by the Shimla Mayor in a month.

On the cards

Underground electricity cables along The Mall

Construction of flyovers connecting the peak points near Bambloe and Victory Tunnel.

Provision of 200 Tempo Travellers from suburban areas to city to de-concentrate development.

Footpaths along the Circular Road

A tunnel from Knollswood to Craig Garden

Plan for re-building Middle Bazar, Ram Bazar and Lower Bazar above Cart Road to The Mall

Improvement of traditional walking routes and gradients and the laying of utility ducts along 200-km existing road network in the city

Rainwater retaining structures to be promoted as public utility spaces

Three 4-km link roads from Bhumia to Shanan, Bemloe to Fagli and from Rajhana to Badagaon on the Shoghi–Dhali Bypass, the 3-km link road from 103 tunnel to Fagli via Nabha.