The screening committee constituted to examine proposed amendments to Chandigarh’s Master Plan has recommended a multi-dimensional impact assessment before allowing further infrastructure augmentation in the city.
The assessments, including seismic and disaster risk, traffic movement, infrastructure and utility capacity, environmental implications, urban design compatibility, parking and mobility requirements, and heritage considerations, are aimed at ensuring that the proposed changes do not compromise the city’s planned character, carrying capacity or resilience. The panel called for traffic impact studies, including congestion hotspots, road carrying capacity, public transport requirements, pedestrian movement and future mobility needs, in the backdrop of experts highlighting that the city’s original road hierarchy was designed for a lower population and vehicle ownership levels. Even then, traffic data showed the system under strain. Both figures exceeded their designed carrying capacity, a signal that demand had outpaced infrastructure.
Prepared nearly a decade ago, the Master Plan-2031 had flagged that the city’s transport system was already nearing saturation. Madhya Marg had a volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio of 1.2 and Udyog Path stood at 1.1.
The concern is underscored by recent events, when inadequate drainage capacity, solid waste blocking road gullies, and the overflowing N-choe led to widespread flooding across the city following 72.4 mm of rainfall in just two hours. The committee has recommended a detailed assessment of existing infrastructure capacity, including water supply, sewerage, electricity distribution, stormwater drainage and other civic utilities. The study will determine whether current systems can support additional development or require augmentation. Notably, the drainage system, originally designed in the 1950s when the city was established, has seen little upgrade since. The committee has recommended a detailed seismic risk assessment, given Chandigarh’s location in a region vulnerable to earthquakes. This would include assessment of building vulnerability, structural safety standards, emergency response preparedness and disaster management infrastructure. The panel has also suggested evaluation of flood vulnerability, drainage capacity and climate-related risks. The proposed amendments will also require a review of the implications on green spaces, ecological balance, groundwater recharge and overall sustainability. The committee has recommended studying the impact of increased construction activity on air quality, natural drainage patterns and the city’s green cover.
