The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday issued a fresh restraining order against the Chandigarh administration, preventing the cutting or lopping of any trees for the Industrial Area flyover project. The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Berry observed that since the matter has been heard and is to be finally decided at an early date, it would be appropriate to restrain the respondents from felling any tree in the vicinity of the Industrial Area chowk.
Interim Direction Subject to Final Outcome
Describing this as an interim direction, the court said it would be subject to the final outcome of the petition. The order came on a petition challenging the proposed flyover at Industrial Area chowk. The counsel for the Chandigarh administration had raised an objection on the maintainability of the PIL, arguing that a previous PIL on a similar cause was disposed of on December 2, 2024, for want of instructions, and thus the petitioners cannot pursue the petition after an unexplained and inordinate delay of four years.
Court Rejects Delay Objection
On the administration's objection, the court observed, “We have no manner of doubt that the public cause of traffic congestion at the Tribune chowk continues to subsist till date and plague the pristine environment of the heritage city of Chandigarh, and therefore the said objection of delay raised by the respondents (UT administration) is rejected.” The petitioners had contended that since the trees, including mango trees standing for more than half a century, are likely to be felled to give way to the flyover at Industrial Area chowk, the court deemed it appropriate to intervene.
Petitioners' Objections
Objections the petitioners raised against the project include violation of Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, damage to the city's heritage character, visual pollution, shifting of traffic congestion rather than solving it, and cutting of trees.
Previous Stay Vacated in 2024
The Industrial Area flyover project was approved by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in February 2019 with an allocation of Rs 183 crore. After the tendering process, the winning bid for the project completion was Rs 137 crore. The UT issued a letter of award on November 19, 2019. Acting on a PIL regarding cutting of trees for the project, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted a stay on the project on November 20, 2019. However, the HC dismissed the PIL on April 30, 2024, paving the way for construction of the flyover. The court at the time had observed that the delay had hampered development for a decade and ordered that the Chandigarh Administration could proceed. After the project was revived in 2024, MoRTH granted formal approval to the financial bid earlier this week. Following central clearance, the UT engineering department officially issued the Letter of Acceptance to the winning contractor on May 12, 2026.
Scope of the Project
The ambitious infrastructure project includes a six-lane flyover with a rotary and an underpass, designed to provide a signal-free corridor at the heavily congested Industrial Area chowk, which handles over 1.5 lakh vehicles daily. The 1.6-km-long flyover will run from the GMCH-32 roundabout to the railway overbridge towards Hallomajra on Dakshin Marg. It features a 25.5-metre-wide carriageway and has been designed for a speed of 80 kmph.
Project at a Glance
- Total length: 1.6 km
- Elevated road on Dakshin Marg: 1.1 km
- Underpass on Purv Marg: 519 m
- Elevated rotary: 74 m in diameter
