One year on, on the road to revamp
December 1 marked one year since the time the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan took off. As the March 2020 deadline nears, the nodal agency is fully confident to make it on time. But traders and residents of the area are apprehensive that some new issues
NEW DELHI: For the past one year, 75-year old Anil Pershad has hardly stepped out of his home except perhaps on Sundays. The nearly 200-year old grand mansion in which he stays, known as ‘Chunnamal Haveli’, overlooks what is believed to be the oldest market in Delhi — Chandni Chowk, built by princess Jahanara Begum. Historical accounts hold that a lovely, sparkling stream ran down the market when it was built in the 1700s, and traders from across the world exhibited their products around it.
For the past one year though, the 1.5-km stretch lies dug up, with mud and sand piling up on either side. “At my age and with my leg problem, I am scared to go out with the road in this condition. It is impossible to get even 10 yards of space for walking straight,” says Pershad.
December 1 marks one year since the time the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan took off. The plan, scheduled to be completed by March 2020, visualises a decongested and pedestrianised heritage market, devoid of the clutter caused by telephone and electrical wires in the skyline and noisy vehicles on the road.
Though the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) — the nodal agency implementing the project — is confident of meeting the timeline, residents, traders and pedestrians voice concerns, sharing how their lives have been affected in the course of the past year. They also have apprhensions about how life will hold out for them once the projects is finished.
STATUS OF THE PROJECT
When the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan took off in 2017 — 12 years after it was first conceived in 2006, traders and residents of the area had heaved a sigh of relief. However, the project ran into several challenges in the course of the next one year, affecting progress.
Early this year, the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) and heritage experts objected to the placement of transformers and other utilities on the central verge. In its 17-page report, which was submitted to Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal in June, the DUAC had said that this would “mar the aesthetics of the historic streets”.
This was followed by the recent order banning construction activity in the National Capital Region (NCR) due to rise in air pollution levels, thereby further hitting the progress of the project.
But the SRDC is optimistic. “As far as status of the project is concerned, the work related to laying of electric cables underground, installing transformers, desilting of drain etc. is almost complete. Once the construction ban is lifted, we will make all efforts to complete the work in the stipulated time frame,” says Nitin Panigrahi, deputy general manager, SRDC and nodal officer in-charge of the project.
However, traders are apprehensive about the project meeting its deadline. Rajeev Khandelwal, 51, who has a clothing shop close to the Fountain Chowk, says,“we are sure that the work will not meet the timeline, with so many breaks in between. Moreover, they should have done the work in phases instead of digging up the entire area at one go.” He added that due to the ongoing project his sales have gone down significantly in the past one year.
PEDESTRIAN NIGHTMARE
When ready, the 1.5-km-long stretch between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Mosque is going to be a delightful experience for pedestrians. “Currently, it is a pedestrian’s nightmare,” says Sudesh, who lives in Dariba Kalan.
She adds, “There is hardly any space for pedestrians to walk. The pavements are uneven, at some places vendors have encroached the footpath to sell food items or goods. The government agencies should have made requisite arrangements.”
Sunita Verma, an entrepreneur who regularly comes to Chandni Chowk for work, points at the iron bollards which have been placed on the pavement to stop motorcycles. “There is so much rush on the pavements. What is the need for these iron bollards? Anybody can get hurt. They should immediately remove it,” says Verma.
Some residents, however, are not kicked about the idea of making the entire stretch pedestrian-only. Ashok Mathur, who lives in Roshanpura, says, “Chandni Chowk is the arterial road which connects old Delhi with large parts of Delhi. If the road is pedestrianised, we will have to take a much longer route. Pershad, on the other hand, says, “With the parking going to be farther from my home now, I fear what I am going to do during an emergency.”
Pradeep Sachdeva, urban designer and architect of the project, said sufficient number of layby zones for police vehicles, ambulances, and fire tenders have been made.
TRAFFIC CHAOS
With the main street going to be pedestrianised, traders and residents of ‘gullies’ and ‘kuchas’ in old Delhi are dreading that the traffic load might shift there. Majority of the inner lanes are already facing excessive traffic. For instance, the not-so-wide Dariba Kalan lane has twowheelers parked at the centre, leaving little space for pedestrian movement.
“There are traffic jams on this road, which is unprecedented. With bikes parked at the centre and heavy vehicular movement, there is hardly any space to walk,” says Kirit Soni, a trader in Dariba Kalan.
Soni fears that this is going to permanent problem, with the main road now being closed for vehicular movement. Like Soni, others too want the government to find a solution to the traffic problem.
“It is good they are pedestrianising the main road. But the government should think about the impact it will have on the inner roads. They should prepare a plan to decongest the entire area and not do projects in isolation,” says Denis, a trader and a resident.
Narendra Singh Bundela, joint commissioner of police (traffic), says they are trying to increase access control to solve the problem. “We are still in the planning stage though to decide on several issues related to traffic movement in Chandni Chowk, such as how to ensure pedestrian movement, access control, restriction of unauthorised vehicles, etc.”
RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES
In November this year, the Delhi High Court directed removal of two temples lying on the carriageway between Town Hall and Fountain Chowk. The court observed in its order that the head priest of the Hanuman temple had agreed to shift in 2015 but the government’s religious committee told the court in October that the priest has retracted his earlier statement. However, the court overruled the stand of the religious committee, asking the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi to remove the structures, after the architect of the redevelopment plan stated that the two temples were coming in the way of the project. “The temples are partly on the NMV lane and partly on the pedestrian area and would be coming on the way of emergency vehicles as well,”
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Red Fort to Fountain Chowk Fountain Chowk to Town Hall Town Hall to Fatehpuri Masjid says Sachdeva.
Residents and traders are opposed to the court order. “I refuse to believe that these two temples are encroachments. They are old temples which have been here since the early 1970. We visit them every day before opening our shops,” says Khandelwal.
FACADE RESTORATION
Looking over the balcony of his 19th-century haveli, Pershad voices his single biggest concern with the redevelopment plan. “How will the dilapidated condition of the heritage buildings on this road look when the street below is shining new?” he asks.
The SRDC, in August this year, decided on restoring the facades of the buildings that line either side of the road. However, as the work on the street has progressed, four month before the stipulated deadline, the decision to restore the facades still seems to be at an incipient stage. “A sub-committee consisting of the deputy commissioner of city zone and others has been formed to look into facade restoration,” says Panigrahi.
Pershad’s mansion, the Chunnamal haveli was built by a wealthy merchant named Lala Chunnamal in 1848. Spread out over an acre of land, the haveli boasts of large palatial rooms, courtyards and an experience of an era in Delhi long gone by. Large parts of the building, however, are in desperate need of repair. Apart from the Chunnamal haveli, there 21 other listed heritage properties along this street.
Residents and owners of the buildings, however, say that they have received no communication on how the restoration will be carried out. “There are hardly any residents living here anymore and this place has been taken over by the traders. We have no voice in this matter anymore,” says Pershad adding that the government needs to protect the heritage buildings from being damaged by the shopkeepers.
“All the notified Heritage properties along this street need to be conserved as authentically as possible, retaining the integrity of the building and its individual features,” said Annabel Lopez, Project Consultant with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Delhi Chapter. “The challenges are many- electrical cables need to go underground, air conditioning units need to be effectively concealed. Each property has multiple owners and the present occupants of most buildings, are not the owners but tenants. Contacting all the owners, itself seems an insurmountable task. The biggest challenge is of course securing funds for undertaking the work,” she added.
As the deadline approaches closer and officials are busy discussing ways of wrapping up the remaining work, Delhiites are eagerly anticipating the first look of a new Chandni Chowk. But how will life change after March 2020 for those most closely associated with the 1.5 km stretch, only time will tell.
(With inputs from Risha Chitlangia)