I-Day approaching, Chandni Chowk revamp gathers pace

Written by Ashna Butani

New Delhi | August 6, 2019 02:17 AM IST

3 min read

Work underway at Chandni Chowk, Monday. Amit Mehra

Granite tiles in a red that compliments the Red Fort across the road set the tone for the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Plan. Huge flower pots and bollards in red granite from Bengaluru and Rajasthan are perched on the 3.5-metre central verge of a 12-metre sample stretch in front of Central Baptist Church. Concrete painted in red, yellow and black is set on the 5.5-metre wide carriageway.

“The sample stretch is ready, the MLA will come to inspect the development tomorrow, after which major decisions, such as choosing one of the three colours for the road, will be made. Rainwater will be efficiently managed as saucer drains are placed on the footpaths,” said Md Azim, an engineer from MIA Construction Services, the contractor working on the project. One can expect to find a tree every 8 metres and a stone bench every 10 metres on the central verge.

As part of the redevelopment plan, a 1.5-km stretch of the road from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid will be free of vehicular traffic to decrease pollution and make Chandni Chowk more friendly for shoppers. The new design might be a contrast to the Chandni Chowk designed by Shah Jahan’s daughter Roshanara during the golden days of the Mughal era, but the aim is to rid the area of encroachments, overhead wires and motor vehicles.
“The roads are designed in such a way that it is fit for pedestrians and bicycles. The engineers have chosen the tiles and their material in accordance with the plan. The entire stretch from Red Fort to Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is expected to be beautified by Independence Day. The services (overhead wires and pipelines) have already been taken underground,” said Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba.

Meanwhile, a number of workers toil to take water lines underground — engineers say that there will be around a hundred fire hydrants placed on the stretch.

Referring to the objections made by the Delhi Urban Art Commission against setting up of transformers in the midst of a historical site, president of the Sarv Vyapar Mandal, Sanjay Bhargava, said, “The 19 transformers are placed on the central verge either way. However, the High Court has asked the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) to resolve this issue by August 15 and send the proposal to the Lieutenant Governor by August 30.”

He added that even though the official deadline for the project is not August 15, work has been sped up so that the area is clear on Independence Day, when the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort.

“An SRDC meeting will be held on August 7 so we can resolve the transformer issue and discuss proposals of installing e-trams in Chandni Chowk,” said Lamba.

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