Addressed to:
The Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh / Governor of Punjab

Petition

We, the undersigned citizens, residents, and well-wishers of Chandigarh, write to express our deep concern regarding the proposed Tribune flyover project. We respectfully urge the Administration to immediately pause its execution and initiate a transparent, evidence-based review of alternative solutions.

Chandigarh is not an ordinary city. It represents a globally recognized model of urban planning—defined by balance, human scale, ecological sensitivity, and foresight. The proposed flyover risks undermining these foundational principles through a form of infrastructure that is both visually and environmentally disruptive, and increasingly questioned in contemporary urban planning.

1. Questionable Effectiveness
Global urban research consistently demonstrates that flyovers do not resolve congestion in a sustained manner. Instead, they often induce additional traffic by increasing road capacity, thereby creating a cycle of dependency on private vehicles. What appears as a short-term solution risks becoming a long-term burden.

2. Irreversible Ecological Damage
The project entails the felling of a large number of mature trees. These are not replaceable assets. They regulate microclimates, support biodiversity, and contribute significantly to the quality of urban life. Compensatory plantation cannot replicate the ecological value of decades-old tree cover.

3. Erosion of Urban Character
A flyover is not a neutral addition. It alters the visual and spatial coherence of the city, privileging vehicular speed over pedestrian experience and civic life. Such interventions fundamentally change how the city is lived and perceived.

4. Availability of Viable Alternatives
There exist well-established, less destructive approaches to managing congestion, including:

Intelligent traffic management systems
Redesign of intersections and signal optimization
Strengthening and incentivizing public transport
Demand management strategies to reduce private vehicle use
These solutions align more closely with Chandigarh’s original vision and contemporary best practices in sustainable urban mobility.

5. Need for Transparency and Public Consultation
Given the scale and irreversibility of the project, it is imperative that decision-making be transparent, participatory, and grounded in publicly accessible data. Citizens have the right to understand not only the projected impacts, but also the process through which this proposal was developed—including the expertise consulted, alternatives considered, and criteria used in decision-making.

6. Concerns Regarding Decision-Making Process
The available information suggests that the Tribune flyover proposal may have emerged from a largely engineering-led approach to traffic management. While engineering expertise is essential, projects of this scale require a broader, multidisciplinary framework that integrates urban planning, mobility systems, and environmental assessment.

The absence of clearly articulated multidisciplinary inputs raises concerns that a complex urban challenge is being approached through a narrowly defined technical lens. Decisions with long-term and irreversible consequences for the city must be informed by comprehensive expertise and subjected to rigorous, transparent evaluation.

Our Demands

We respectfully call upon the Administration to:

Immediately halt the execution of the Tribune flyover project.
Commission an independent, multidisciplinary review of traffic management needs and solutions.
Publicly release all relevant data and impact assessments related to the project.
Engage citizens, urban planners, environmental experts, and civil society in an open consultation process.
Prioritize sustainable, context-sensitive alternatives that preserve Chandigarh’s ecological and architectural integrity.
Conclusion

This is not a rejection of development. It is a call for better development—development that is thoughtful, sustainable, and consistent with Chandigarh’s legacy as a carefully planned city.

The decision before us is not merely about a flyover. It is about the kind of city Chandigarh chooses to become. Once taken, this decision cannot be easily reversed.

We urge the Administration to act with foresight, responsibility, and respect for the city’s enduring values.

Sign this petition to protect Chandigarh’s future.