Heritage Chandni Chowk opens in new avatar

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal outlined plans to make the Chandni Chowk stretch a night tourism hot spot

Inaugurating the revamped section of the Chandni Chowk market on Sunday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government plans to develop the area as a hub for night tourism.

As part of the first phase of the redevelopment project, the 1.4-kilometre stretch between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid has been converted into a pedestrian-only zone between 9am and 9pm.  (Arvind Yadav/HT file photo)

As part of the first phase of the redevelopment project, the 1.4-kilometre stretch between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid has been converted into a pedestrian-only zone between 9am and 9pm, besides providing several facilities for shoppers that throng to this heritage market such as benches, public toilets, street lights and specially designed cycle rickshaws for moving around the area.

“We have noticed that pedestrians come here at night for a stroll. We plan on further extending the services of street food stalls to develop the area into a night tourism spot. People will be able to enjoy themselves here even after the markets shut till around 12am,” said Kejriwal.

Appreciating the makeover, the chief minister said the area has undergone a massive overhaul that stood out in sharp contrast to its previous congestes avatar. The new-look Chandni Chowk was attracting tourists from across the city, he said.

“Earlier, Chandni Chowk’s image was that of broken roads, traffic jams and electric wires hanging all around. Overall, Chandni Chowk had the image of a dirty, congested market. In the last three years, the Delhi government has carried out the redevelopment and beautification project in Chandni Chowk, and inaugurated it today. Not just the Chandni Chowk residents but people from all around Delhi are coming to see how Chandni Chowk has transformed beautifully,” said Kejriwal.

Conceived by the Congress government in 2006, the ₹99-crore project was launched after a prolonged delay in December 2018 following the directions by the Delhi high court, which was also monitoring the project. The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) is the nodal agency for the redevelopment project.

The new-look Chandni Chowk was attracting tourists from across the city, Kejriwal said.

In December 2018, Delhi’s deputy CM Manish Sisodia laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment project and the transfer of facilities was completed. The Public Works Department (PWD) started work on the main project in March 2019. While the initial deadline was November 2020, it was later revised to March 2021 due to delay on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and legal hurdles in removing encroachments, including some religious structures. The inauguration of the project was scheduled for April 17 this year, but the second wave of Covi-19 halted the plans.

In the first phase of the project, utilities such as electric cables and other networks were laid underground and dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport and walkways were constructed. Facilities such as toilets, ATMs, benches for visitors, bollards for seating and other utilities have been provided in the redeveloped space. Over a hundred refurbished cycle rickshaws have been pressed into service on the stretch.

In the second phase, the façade restoration will be taken up by SRDC and PWD to provide a uniform facade to the market along the redeveloped stretch.

Urban development minister Satyendar Jain, who was also present at the inauguration ceremony, said while major problems pertaining to roads and overhanging wires have been addressed, the area will witness façade improvement in the next stage. “We will further facelift the entire area and give it a splendid look. We will soon operate electrical vehicles that match with the look of the area for the convenience of the people,” said Jain.

Sanjay Bhargava, president, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, said the groundwork on the project was initiated nearly 20 years ago. “Even before the idea of redeveloping Chandni Chowk was formally floated, we were meeting stakeholders to put forth our ideas for the market square. It has taken a lot of time and money since then, and we hope that the makeover will be a boon for business,” said Bhargava.

He said a lot of money has been pumped into the project and sought a greater commitment from stakeholders for further development. “A lot of willpower and political commitment is needed if one wants to develop the area as a hub for night-time tourism,” said Bhargava.

Anil Pershad, 77, one of the owners of Chandni Chowk’s iconic Chunnamal Haveli, said while the area’s beautification was welcome, the concerns of residents have not been taken into account. .

“The market looks nice but it should be developed in a manner such that old residents and people who moved out are encouraged to return. At the same time, the inconvenience of residents should also be addressed. There is no arrangement for parking due to which residents face trouble while going in and out,” said Pershad.

At the inauguration, some local residents and BJP members staged a protest against the implementation of restrictions on the loading and unloading of goods in the market. Ajay Bhardwaj, general secretary, Chandni Chowk district, said the ban on entry of motorised vehicles led to inconvenience for residents and traders in Dariba Kalan and other areas. “Dariba has been cordoned off with barricades on both ends due to which residents are facing a lot of trouble,” said Bhardwaj.

Garima Gupta, managing director, SRDC, who has been involved with the project since June 2017, said the project demonstrated that pedestrianisation was the way forward.

“The project is the epitome of the concept of creating sustainable urban spaces along with heritage conservation,” said Gupta. She said that while there were challenges, the team successfully faced them. “There is a great sense of satisfaction. The entire period of execution of the project saw massive involvement with different stakeholders. We worked with residents, commuters and business owners and took everyone along. We coordinated with different government agencies. There were obstacles too, such as the NGT ban, then the pandemic due to which workers left for their home towns. All such issues came up but we were able to successfully complete the work,” said Gupta.