Chandigarh, Feb 19: Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has warned that the city face a future of “unimaginable” traffic congestion by 2036 if the proposed Metro rail system is not fast-tracked. Expressing deep dissatisfaction with the current pace of the tricity project, Tewari declared that the lack of progress is compromising the future of the region and its residents.
The warning comes following a response from Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, who stated that the Centre has yet to receive a formal proposal for a Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) from the Chandigarh Administration or the governments of Punjab and Haryana. This is despite the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) being established in April 2023 to oversee such developments for Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and New Chandigarh.
Tewari asserted that the Ministry’s stance reflects a bureaucratic tendency to “pass the buck” rather than taking ownership of a vital infrastructure project. He noted that the Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has already submitted two reports confirming the project’s financial viability. “One can only wonder what the UMTA has been doing over the past 34 months,” Tewari maintained, describing the failure to submit a proposal as a serious lapse.
The MP pointed out that while 18 other Indian cities have successfully completed Metro construction, Chandigarh remains stalled. He stated that the mounting pressure on the city’s roads is driven by the daily influx of commuters from neighboring Mohali and Panchkula. An integrated public transport system is essential not only to ease gridlock but also to reduce pollution and conserve fuel, he affirmed.
Financial concerns were also raised as the estimated cost of the project has climbed from Rs 16,000 crore to approximately Rs 25,000 crore due to administrative setbacks. Tewari declared that the Metro should be treated as a “strategic lifeline” for the region’s economic potential. He urged the Central Government to step in with the required Rs 25,000 crore to ensure the long-delayed project finally moves forward before costs inflate further.
