Chandigarh’s monumental modernism

Chandigarh’s monumental modernism

Subject: History

Context: Supreme Court prohibited the “fragmentation/ division/ bifurcation/ apartmentalisation” of residential units in phase I of Chandigarh, and directed the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee to “take into consideration its own recommendations that the northern sectors of Chandigarh ‘(Corbusian Chandigarh)’ should be preserved in their present form”.

Observation of SC:

• Stating in its 131-page verdict that it is high time that the “legislature, the executive and the policy makers at the Centre as well as the State levels take note of the damage to the environment on account of haphazard developments and take a call to take necessary measures to ensure that the development does not damage the environment.
• Such a haphazard growth may adversely affect the heritage status of Phase I of Chandigarh, which is sought to be inscribed as a UNESCO heritage city.
• The court ordered the Chandigarh Administration to not resort to formulate rules or by-laws without prior consultation of heritage committee and prior approval of the Central government.

Background of the Case:

• In 2001, the Chandigarh Administrator, exercising powers under Sections 5 and 22 of The Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952, framed The Chandigarh Apartment Rules, 2001, allowing the division of single residential units into more than one apartment
• Following an outcry from citizens who complained that the original character of the city was under threat, the 2001 Rules — as well as an earlier set of Rules from 1960 — were repealed in 2007.
• On November 7 that year, The Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 were notified. Rule 16 of the 2007 Rules prohibited the fragmentation or amalgamation of any site or building.
• In 2009, a committee was constituted to draw up the Chandigarh Master Plan, 2031 (CMP-2031); the draft CMP-2031 reintroduced the 2001 Rules. Meanwhile, in 2010, a Committee of Experts was set up to look at both the original concept of the city of Chandigarh as well as the maintenance of important heritage buildings in the UT.
• In the light of persistent public opposition to the draft CMP-2031, a Board of Inquiry and Hearing was set up in November 2013 to consider, among other things, objections to the proposal to re-introduce the 2001 Rules. The Board recommended that the 2001 Rules should not be brought back, and that the re-densification of any government residential/ institutional pocket in phase I sectors should only be done with approval from the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee.
• These recommendations were accepted by the central government, and all references to apartments in the draft CMP-2031 were dropped in the final version of the plan that was notified in 2015.
• Even so, apartmentalisation in the city continued apace which directly prohibited by law.

About Chandigarh’s architecture:

• Chandigarh was made a union territory (UT) and became the capital for the states of Punjab and Haryana. The city, the judgement said, was developed in two phases – Phase I having Sectors 1 to 30 and Phase II having Sectors 31 to 47.
• Chandigarh, the dream city of India’s first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier.
• Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
• Chandigarh became symbolic of the newly independent Indian. The foundation stone of the city was laid in 1952. The city is well known for its architecture and design by architects such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry.
• Master Plan by Le Corbusier was the shape of the city plan was modified from one with a curving road network to rectangular shape with a grid iron pattern for the fast traffic roads, besides reducing its area for reason of economy.
• The city plan was conceived as post war ‘Garden City’ wherein vertical and high rise buildings were ruled out, keeping in view the socio economic-conditions and living habits of the people.
• All the main roads were straightened out, the dimensions and organization of the superblocks were reformatted, a complete hierarchy of circulation was established, the nomenclature was changed, and the Capital “head” was firmly located in place.
• The metaphor of a human being was being employed in the plan, the ‘head’ contained the capital complex, the ‘heart’ the commercial centre, and the ‘arms’, which were perpendicular to the main axis, had the academic and leisure facilities. The plan incorporated Le Corbusier’s principles of light, space and greenery.
• Le Corbusier divided the city into different Sectors. Each Sector or the neighboured unit, is quite similar to the traditional Indian ‘mohalla’, and measures 800 metres by 1200 metres, covering 250 acres of area. The sector featured a green strip running north to south, bisected by a commercial road running east to west.
• The 4-storey concrete buildings house banks and offices above and showrooms/shops at the ground level with wide pedestrian concourses.
• The roads were designed and oriented in such a way that most of the time during the day, they are under shadow. There are huge parking areas for the commercial zones so that the Parking problems don’t create a havoc on the main roads.

World Heritage Site:

• The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage founded on November 16, 1972,
• The World Heritage Convention encourages the identification protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. It sets out the duties of States Parties in identifying potential World Heritage sites situated on their territory
• A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance. The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme’, administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
• This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
• India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.

About World Heritage Committee:

• World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.
• The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
• It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed.
• It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.