Gets brand conscious Parking still an issue despite multi-level lot
The market once famous for its family-run multi-brand stores is being taken over by solo multi-national brand shops, a mall has also come up here POPULAR HANGOUT 1,200 3000-3500 1000-1500
Kamla Nagar Named after the wife of first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Kamla Nagar market is equally popular among shoppers from the neighbourhood and Delhi University students
Established: DAILY FOOTFALL Areas it caters to: Delhi University, Civil Lines, Model Town, Shakti Nagar, Roop Nagar, Ashok Vihar
Famous for: Clothing, accessories, street food
Trivia: Kamla Nagar was developed as an affluent residential colony in 1950s. The market was developed later. Back then the market had some of the biggest bookstores, publishing houses with college students and UPSC aspirants thronging them. UPSIDE
Both hi-end and cheap clothing available to suit all budgets, some famous joints of street food attract shoppers and DU students alike DOWNSIDE
Lack of parking space. A multilevel lot at a mall remains underutilised, chaotic traffic movement, encroached pavements NEW DELHI: A sea of cycle and battery rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and icecream vendors block the main crossing with vehicles coming in and out on the two main choked stretches — from Hansraj College to Bindal Chowk and from here to Spark mall. Welcome to the Kamla Nagar market.
The market, located on Bungalow Road opposite Hansraj College, has a major congestion problem.
“The approach roads to the market remain too congested to move over weekends and during festivals. While there is no space for surface parking, the multi-level lot remains grossly underutilised since the approach to the facility is always choked. This affects business as people once stuck in traffic think twice before revisiting the market,” said Naresh Sambhar, president, local traders’ association.
The multi-level lot at the mall has space for 738 cars along with 100 twowheelers. But at any given time, it doesn’t even get half of its stipulated strength of vehicles.
“The mall has been a sheer wastage of resources. However, it can still be of help if the inner lanes are thrown open for vehicles to get in and out. We have held meetings with senior traffic police officers and urged them to depute traffic cops on the main stretch, beginning with the festive season,” says Sambhar.
There is no room for pedestrians to walk, even though, it is a high street shopping centre. The pavements have been taken over by the vendors and hawkers selling cheap stuff and readyto-serve meals.
“It is the north civic body’s responsibility to free the pavements of illegal encroachment. Till some time back even the pavements were broken, which were later repaired after our requests to area MP Harshvardhan. We have installed 56 CCTVs at entry/exits and at major congestion points for the market’s security,” Sambhar said.
Also, replacing conventional street lights with LED lights and placing dustbins at various points in the market are prominent among issues that the traders have raised with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.