Fwd: Experts for brakes on Amritsar’s PRTS plan - Fear project will mar city’s heritage character

[Sujit Patwardhan]

7 July 2012

Another example of another city in India showing more sense than Pune, the "Cultural capital of Maharashtra" in understanding that massive infrastructures for elevated corridors for carrying traffic has a fatal impact on the city's heritage.

Throwing all well thought out arguments against an Elevated Metro into the waste paper basket, the local as well as the State Govt are going ahead and clearing the project for an elevated Metro in Pune. Our great heritage be damned.

I know citizens get the Govt they deserve but do we really deserve this???

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Sujit

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shaheen Shasa
Date: Saturday, July 7, 2012
Subject: Experts for brakes on Amritsar’s PRTS plan - Fear project will mar city’s heritage character
To: "summe...@googlegroups.com" <summe...@googlegroups.com>

Brilliant arguments!

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From: "Asija, Navdeep" <navdee...@gmail.com>
To:
Sent: Saturday, 7 July 2012 2:43 AM
Subject: Experts for brakes on Amritsar’s PRTS plan - Fear project will mar city’s heritage character

Perneet Singh
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 6
The state government's ambitious PRTS (Personal Rapid Transport System) in the holy city will eclipse the view of its significant landmarks like Golden Temple, Jallianwalla Bagh, Town Hall and Hall Gate, besides adversely affecting the heritage character of the walled city, fear conservation and architecture experts.

Talking to The Tribune, Prof SS Behl, Dean, Faculty of Physical Planning and Architecture, GNDU, said, "The PRTS will enter the walled city from the Hall Gate and will totally eclipse the view of this monumental landmark. The historic Town Hall, which the government intends to preserve as a heritage building, will also meet the same fate. Moreover, it will also block the view of the Jallianwalla Bagh and the main entrance of the Golden Temple (Ghanta Ghar Gate)." He said the project will take a toll on the heritage character of the walled city.

"The PRTS will also deprive the pilgrims an opportunity to have a look at the historic Hall Bazaar as they shall pass overhead and not through the bazaar," he averred. He says the alignment (pathway) for the PRTS will also leave an impact on the ventilation and sunlight in the buildings adjoining it, besides impinging on the privacy of those residing inside. He said the government should instead explore other options, one of which could be having the PRTS on the circular road on the periphery of the walled city. Another option may be removing the encroachments on the main road leading to the Golden Temple and having dedicated lanes for pedestrians, rickshaws and private vehicles, he said. The Tribune has also got access to slides used in the official presentation by the state tourism authorities. These slides exhibit superimposed view of the walled city areas to give an idea as to how it will look once the PRTS comes up and it clearly shows that these landmarks will be eclipsed by the project.

Balvinder Singh, Head, Guru Ram Das School of Planning, GNDU, said the proposed pathway from Railway Station (Gol Bagh side) to the Golden Temple passing through Hall Bazaar, Town Hall, Jallianwala Bagh and Chowk Ghanta Ghar, will alter the traditional layout of the walled city. He said the PRTS will pose a hurdle in getting the walled city listed among the World Heritage Cities even though at present the city fulfills almost all conditions for acquiring this status.

Dr Sukhdev Singh, state convener of INTACH, said the distance being covered by the PRTS is too short and it would not be of much advantage when compared to the huge cost the project will entail. Besides, it will disturb the local habitat for years during its construction phase. "The government can instead act tough against encroachments and press into service battery operated vehicles, besides curbing land use from residential to commercial, which is increasing the traffic chaos in the walled city," he said.

Dr Sukhdev said the government must understand that the people not only visit the Golden Temple but also go for shopping in markets of the walled city.

Navdeep Asija, a transportation and road safety expert from Ferozepur, said the PRTS will mar the entire skyline of the walled city, besides threatening the business of the trading community. He said it will also lead to reduction of effective road width which will add to traffic congestion. Noted social activist Brij Bedi said the government should launch a crackdown against illegal encroachments and strictly implement traffic norms instead of contemplating such projects.

"The people are driving vehicles in the city without licence while nobody bothers about traffic laws. Until such violations are not checked, the scenario will remain as it is," he said. The government should preserve the entire stretch from the Hall Gate to the Golden Temple and promote it as an old world charm, he said

The city view now and (right) the future look with the prts in place

n The Golden Temple entrance

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It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

- J. Krishnamurti

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Sujit Patwardhan
patwardh...@gmail.com
su...@parisar.org
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