Delhi’s Old City traders wake up to a garbage crisis

The revamped Chandni Chowk stretch in Delhi is facing sanitation issues due to a tussle over dues between the Public Works Department and a local contractor. The contractor has suspended services and demanded payment of ₹5.5 crore ($738,000) as outstanding dues. The situation has led to garbage littering the market, causing inconvenience to customers and impacting businesses. The contractor may resume services if the pending dues are released and the contract is extended.

The main bazar street was littered with garbage as heaps of waste spilled out of dustbins, and four dirty public convenience facilities were raising a stink, as the revamped Chandni Chowk stretch between the Red Fort and the Fatehpuri Mosque on Monday looked like a dirty thoroughfare urgently in need of civic attention.

Garbage lines the road at Chandni Chowk on Monday, inconveniencing people during the festive season. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Portrayed as the showpiece of the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, the area was bearing the brunt of a tussle over dues between the state Public Works Department (PWD) and a local contractor, according to people aware of the matter.

Sanitation work of the revamped stretch is managed by a private firm hired by PWD.

In a letter dated October 13, the contractor wrote to PWD saying that there is an outstanding payment of ₹5.5 crore. and it shall suspend services from October 16 till further direction.

The letter added that clear-cut directions should be issued for closure or extension of its contract.

An official from the company said that the contract ended in August, but PWD neither issued an extension nor clarified the current status. “We have not been paid since April this year. There are cumulative dues of around ₹5.5 crore. Despite holding several rounds of meetings and writing letters, no solution was found. So, we were forced to withdraw our workers at midnight,” the official added.

He said that a meeting with PWD officials was held on Monday evening, when PWD assured the firm of releasing some of the pending dues and the contract may be extended by a month for the festive season.

“The exact amount that PWD wishes to release has not been communicated to us. But if PWD acts on these assurances, we will start working from tomorrow,” the official said.

A Delhi government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment

Meanwhile, traders and local market associations complained that despite a heavy footfall in Old Delhi due to Ramlila and Navratri celebrations, the market’s drains on Monday were choked with filth, and thermocol plates and cutlery were seen dumped in flowerpots.

Sanjay Bhargava, who heads the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, said that during the festive season of Navratri, more resources should have been invested to manage the commercial hub. On the contrary, the situation was terrible as customers were inconvenienced due to garbage that littered the market.

“There are four toilet complexes that were managed by the private operator, who was also in charge of the daily activities such as sweeping, removal of waste and washing street furniture. We hope the issue between PWD and the company is resolved soon,” Bhargava added.

Yogesh Singhal, who is the chairman of the Bullion and Jewellers association in Chandni Chowk’s Kuncha Mahajani, said that poor sanitation impacts businesses. “Market is in poor shape. It clearly leads to a poor outlook of the prestigious market and adversely affects our business. The government should intervene to resolve the situation,” he added.

In September 2021, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had inaugurated a revamped road between the Red Fort and Old Delhi’s Fatehpuri Masjid — a 1.4km stretch for pedestrians — as part of the first phase of Chandni Chowk’s redevelopment.