Relief in sight for Sec 17 parking woes in Chandigarh | Chandigarh News
Chandigarh: Relief may finally be on the horizon for Sector 17’s chronic parking crunch. The Chandigarh administration is revisiting plans to revive decades-old underground parking near the DC office and considering three new multi-level facilities under the city’s rejuvenation project. Officials say the move aims to ease congestion in the commercial hub, where demand far outstrips capacity.Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav stated, “To tackle the acute parking shortage in the sector, especially around the DC office and Bank Square, I directed the UT urban planning dept to submit plans for underground parking facilities.”The DC conducted an on-site inspection of parking issues in the commercial area on Tuesday.Constructed nearly five decades ago, these underground lots were closed following a structural audit by IIT Roorkee that highlighted serious safety concerns.Regarding new facilities, a senior UT official said, “Detailed plans for three new underground parking lots were prepared as part of the Sector 17 rejuvenation project. A few years ago, RITES also recommended building three new multi-level underground parking facilities in the sector. However, progress stalled, particularly after the poor public response to the municipal corporation’s existing multi-level underground parking. In a recent high-level meeting, the severe parking problem was discussed, and it was decided to revisit and potentially revive these plans at least on two of the sites.”The UT chief secretary also directed the MC commissioner to ensure optimal utilisation of the existing operational multi-level underground parking in the sector. The MC underground parking lot initially struggled with structural safety issues, and user response was also poor. In recent times, though, more users started opting for the parking lot.There are 3 sites that were reserved for the construction of new underground multi-level parking facilities.“One is in front of the SBI building/adjacent to the KC theatre, another is adjacent to the Anand Theatre, and the third is near the electric sub-station. The plans were prepared under the Sector 17 rejuvenation plan.”RITES proposed additional parking for 3,648 cars across new multi-level facilities spanning 34,800 square metres. The largest would be near the electric sub-station, covering 6,000 square metres with 4 basement levels and a capacity for 1,500 cars, featuring an automated system.The 2 lots near the north plaza (Bank Square area) would primarily serve the numerous offices there, with a combined capacity of 668 cars.BOX1: From Gridlock to Relief Multi-level parking (RITES) in Sec 17Proposed MLCP location | Area (Sqm) | Capacity (in ECS) Adjacent to Anand Cinema | 3,900 | 334 Adjacent to KC Cinema | 3,900 | 334 Near Electric Sub-Station | 6,000 | 1,500 2-pronged approachTo address parking problems, the Chandigarh Parking Policy and Master Plan 2031 emphasise a 2-pronged approach: modernising existing underground parking and investing in new underground multi-level parking facilities.Submit plans“To tackle the acute parking shortage in the sector, especially around the DC office and Bank Square, I directed the UT urban planning dept to submit plans for underground parking facilities.”Nishant Kumar Yadav | deputy commissioner
