Delhi PWD to begin work on 3 housing projects this year

The Public Works Department (PWD) is set to begin work this year on three large housing projects at Gulabi Bagh, Kalyanvas and Bahapur, with the first two introducing a new model under which residential flats and commercial spaces will be offered for sale to the public, the government announced on Monday

The Public Works Department (PWD) is set to begin work this year on three large housing projects at Gulabi Bagh, Kalyanvas and Bahapur, with the first two introducing a new model under which residential flats and commercial spaces will be offered for sale to the public, the government announced on Monday.

(Photo for representation)

The projects at Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanvas will be developed as high-density, mixed-use complexes under transit-oriented development (TOD) norms, while the smaller project at Bahapur near New Friends Colony will exclusively provide accommodation for senior Delhi government officials.

The projects mark a shift for PWD, which has traditionally focused on government infrastructure such as offices, schools, hospitals, courts, and residential complexes meant for allotment to government employees. The Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanvas developments will be the first in which the department constructs housing and commercial space intended partly for private buyers.

PWD minister Parvesh Verma said the projects were part of an effort to use government land for creating modern housing and mixed-use developments. “Our focus is to make optimum use of the land available with the government and create modern, high-density housing while also providing the required commercial infrastructure,” Verma said.

“We are hoping that the revenue gains from the projects at Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanvas will offset the construction cost of all four,” he added, referring to the three housing projects and the proposed new Delhi Secretariat.

A senior PWD official said the projects would also help replace old and dilapidated government housing with modern high-rise complexes. “The details of the land area and the number of existing buildings at these locations have been surveyed and the families will be temporarily moved while these flats are being redeveloped. We will soon be finalising the project report and appointing contractors,” the official said.

The largest of the three projects will come up on the 70-acre Gulabi Bagh site, which currently has old government quarters. The site is proposed to be redeveloped with a floor area ratio (FAR) of around 400-500, generating about 22.5 million square feet of built-up area.

Around 90% of the development will be residential and the remaining 10% commercial. The commercial component could include shops, offices or a mall-like development, although the final configuration has not yet been decided, officials said.

The residential component will include Type-2, Type-3 and Type-4 government accommodation, along with additional flats that will be sold to private buyers. The high-rise development will follow TOD principles.

The 32-acre Kalyanvas site in east Delhi will follow a similar model. With an FAR of around 400-500, it is expected to generate more than 7 million square feet of built-up area. Around 90% will be residential and 10% commercial. Some of the residential units will be retained for government allotment, while additional flats will be offered for sale to the public.

The third project at Bahapur, meanwhile, will be considerably smaller and will not have any commercial or privately sold housing. The four-acre site near New Friends Colony will have around 400,000 square feet of built-up area and accommodate 160 government flats — 80 Type-5 and 80 Type-6 units. The plan for the Bahapur project has already been finalised and construction is estimated to cost around ₹400 crore.

Officials said the redevelopment of the three sites was part of a wider effort to modernise government housing and make more efficient use of large land parcels. Similar redevelopment has already taken place at government colonies in Sarojini Nagar, Kidwai Nagar and Nauroji Nagar.

For PWD, however, the Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanvas projects represent a significant expansion of its traditional role. Apart from constructing government assets, the department will now be involved in creating residential and commercial properties for private buyers, with the projects also expected to contribute to the government’s efforts to increase housing supply in Delhi.