The Delhi government has initiated a two-phased redevelopment plan to transform east Delhi’s cluttered and buzzing Gandhinagar market, considered as the hub of wholesale garments, into an articulately planned and first-grade shopping centre.
At the Gandhi Nagar wholesale cloth market in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)
According to government officials, the redevelopment will range from providing essential public facilities such as drinking water and toilets, to enhancing security systems, urban planning and revamping existing infrastructure at the market located in the Trans Yamuna area near Shahdara.
The project is aimed at boosting economy and generating employment opportunities, the officials said.
To be sure, the project has been in the works since last year when it was first announced in the government’s Rozgar budget 2022-23. Despite carrying out initial surveys, the plan was stalled, the reasons of which were not known.
“Gandhi Nagar holds a global reputation as the largest readymade garment market of Asia. The redevelopment of Gandhi Nagar will serve as a pivotal milestone in elevating Delhi’s economy and creating thousands of new jobs. The endeavour is not only aimed at revitalising Gandhinagar, but also to enhance business prospects for merchants and provide an exceptional shopping experience for the people,” said one of the officials, asking not to named. The timeline of the project was not yet known.
The redevelopment will be executed in two phases, officials said, taking into consideration the ongoing economic activities in the area. The first phase of the project will focus on immediate and pressing concerns of local traders, besides provisions of public facilities such as drinking water and public toilets. Additionally, installation of comprehensive CCTV camera network and security monitoring system, redesigning of street lighting and street furniture, and implementation of a visual information system will also be a part of the first phase, according to officials.
According to market traders, there are around 14,000 wholesalers, 5,000 manufacturing units in the area, while it provides employment to nearly 5 lakh people.
Under phase two, the government will focus on urban redesigning and architectural enhancements of the market. Officials added that efforts will be made to promote the area through national and international marketing campaigns, digitisation of area information, firefighting facilities, and upgradation of existing infrastructure.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be responsible for executing the project, while the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, will design its new layout, officials said. The decision was taken following a review meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday with various departments.
“The increasing population density has strained the existing basic facilities, adversely impacting businesses in the area. The Delhi government’s objective is to reimagine Gandhinagar, optimising space utilisation and creating world-class infrastructure that will attract customers and foster business growth. Throughout the redevelopment process, utmost care will be taken to minimise any adverse impact on the traders’ businesses,” said the official quoted above.
When it was first announced, the plan aimed to generate over 40,000 new jobs in the area in the next five years. At the time, traders in the market said, a series of meetings were held and surveys were done, especially by the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC) to start the project, but it was shelved due to a lack of coordination between the civic body and the government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party was in power in MCD until last year, which was later taken over by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in this year’s polls.
“There were several meetings, and we helped the government teams with photos, videos, and problem areas such as sewer leaks and overhead hanging electrical wires. The teams also prepared reports. Now that the government is reviving the project, we hope that it reaches implementation stage soon,” said Kanwal Kumar Balli, president of Gandhi Nagar market association.
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