{
  "id": 10657988,
  "title": "Once Chandigarh’s biggest slum colony, now set to be a city forest with elevated trails, bird-watching spaces",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/once-chandigarhs-biggest-slum-colony-now-set-to-be-a-city-forest-with",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T09:21:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/chandigarh-colony-no-4-slum-transformed-city-forest-elevated-trails-10898982/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chandigarh's former largest slum colony, known as Colony No. 4, is set to transform into a city forest featuring elevated trails, bird-watching platforms, and spaces for environmental learning. The transformation began after an eviction drive in May 2022, which removed unauthorized structures from the 35-acre site near Industrial Area Phase-I and the railway station. The Chandigarh Administration plans to inaugurate the city forest by June 2027.\n\nFollowing the eviction, the Forest Department faced a severely disturbed landscape with scattered C&D waste, compacted soil, damaged drainage, and lost vegetation. To address these issues, the department initiated ecological restoration efforts, including fencing, waste removal, land profile restoration, and plantation. The plantation has achieved a 98% survival rate, and two water bodies have been created to enhance ecological diversity and serve as rainwater harvesting and moisture-retention structures.\n\nKey features of the future city forest include an elevated nature trail, offering a unique perspective of the forest canopy, and a fire watchtower for forest protection. The project also aims to create an observation deck, a bird-watching platform, a nature maze for experiential learning, a Nature Interpretation Centre, and an open-air theatre for environmental awareness programmes. Visitor facilities such as a bamboo cafeteria, gazebos, meditation huts, and rain shelters will be designed to complement the natural surroundings.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Colony No. 4, once Chandigarh's largest slum, to be transformed into a city forest.",
    "Transformation initiated after eviction in May 2022, removing unauthorized structures."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}