MCD polls: Civic infra in Old Delhi frozen in time

Residents say that while the area has been afflicted by these issues for decades, the state of affairs has worsened during the past decade with the increase in population density in the area and the proliferation of commercial units.

The serpentine lanes, the spice and textile bazars and the decrepit structures in Shahjahanabad or the Old Delhi attract lot of tourists and attention worldwide but for the local residents the crumbling civic infrastructure and rising congestion are issues that have remained unresolved despite promises by political parties in successive elections.

Last week, a fire at Bhagirath Place market gutted over 150 shops. Residents say that unchecked commercialisation has made old Delhi vulnerable to hazards. (ANI)

Proliferation of commercial units, illegal constructions and increase in population have only added to their woes, say residents.

Last week, a fire gutted 150 shops at Bhagirath Place market where narrow lanes, overhanging wires, overloaded circuits and lack of general amenities ensured that fire fighters continued cooling off operations till Tuesday this week.

Residents say that while the area has been afflicted by these issues for decades, the state of affairs has worsened during the past decade with the increase in population density in the area and the proliferation of commercial units.

Kashish Badar, a developmental communication professional, who lives in the vicinity of Jama Masjid, said, “Old Delhi is a unique space and its heritage and culture should be celebrated but one often forgets that there are pressing everyday struggles that residents living here face. Basic needs that should be guaranteed to any citizen are not being met.”

Excessive commercialisation, narrow congested lanes, poor traffic and waste management, irregular water supply, and lack of public spaces and parks for residents, were among pressing concerns plaguing the area that Badar listed out. “Old Delhi increasingly looks like a massive warehouse. There is heavy commercialisation. Wholesale markets selling spices, books, fabrics, electricals, and almost everything under the sun can be found here. The footfall in the area has increased manifold over the last decade due to which there is a lot of congestion. There is no space left for people to walk,” said Badar.

Badar said that illegal construction in the area was taking place unchecked with no enforcement of any kind and the interests of residents were being sidestepped. “The water supply is patchy during the summer months. This year itself, we had to relocate to a relative’s place since there was no water supply for weeks. There are no parks in the area,” said Badar.

Many others who live in the area agreed.

They said that the municipal corporation has failed to provide basic amenities and resolve long-standing issues.

Ashok Mathur, a resident of Chandni Chowk, said that private builders in alleged connivance with the authorities have played a key role in changing the character of old Delhi. Mathur said that the area has become a fire hazard with narrow lanes and illegally constructed buildings. “People are making money through unchecked illegal constructions. Water supply is also another issue due to which borewells have sprung up everywhere. The ground water table is going down and people have to rely on packaged water since the groundwater is not fit for drinking and cooking. I really don’t think the situation is going to change in favour of the residents. Neither is there any respect for the area’s heritage,” said Mathur.

Anil Pershad, one of the owners of Chandni Chowk’s iconic Chunnamal Haveli, said that custodians of heritage properties are stuck in a limbo with little or no intervention by the civic corporation. Pershad said that while political parties spoke about heritage conservation, there was no clarity on when it might begin. He also underlined the need for agencies to incorporate suggestions from residents before formulating policies and plans for the area. “Traders now enjoy an upper hand in the area. The residents are never called for any meeting or given the chance to put forward their inputs on major changes that affect our day-to-day lives. The stretch was turned into a non-motorable zone due to which traffic piles up in front of the Red Fort. It takes half an hour for us to even enter Chandni Chowk,” said Pershad.

Abu Sufiyan, a culture revivalist and old Delhi resident, said that illegal buildings had sprung up in the area in the past few years with stakeholders overlooking the norms in place. Sufiyan said that that was a severe space shortage in the streets due to which the traffic situation was in a disarray. “We have narrow lanes in the area. There is a lack of space. Illegal buildings without any parking space have come up. All these activities take place while the MCD continues to look away,” he added.

He said that the area needed a residents-first approach which was currently missing. With policy-makers and government agencies prioritising traders, everyday concerns affecting residents were left unattended, added Sufiyan. “Our concerns are unique and tackling them requires a different approach. We need a different department or body with more unified powers that can cater solely to old Delhi and prioritise the heritage of the area and other everyday concerns ranging from sanitation to water supply,” said Sufiyan, while advocating for a special body.

Residents say that while the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 proposed a separate redevelopment plan for the area, it never took off. Locals say that the area is different from other parts of the capital and needed a special agency with powers to resolve problems such as congestion, sanitation and water supply, fire hazards, and heritage conservation.

A separate redevelopment plan of Special Areas of Delhi was envisaged in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 under which the MCD was supposed to allow urban regeneration and amalgamation of plots (of a minimum size of 3,000 square metres) for their redevelopment as a “complex”. This was meant to reduce congestion, improve building code compliance and reduce fire hazards. But the plan was never implemented. Spread over an area of 2,600 hectares, the “Special Areas” consist of Shahjahanabad (Walled City), Walled City extensions and parts of Karol Bagh.

Sanjay Bhargava, president Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, makes a case for a statutory body on the lines of NDMC that can cater specifically to the needs of the Delhi neighbourhood. “I am of the view that a special statutory body on the lines of NDMC for New Delhi should be made for Old Delhi. This is a special heritage area with unique needs. We need an authority that can control all issues single-handedly except policing. That is the only solution to save the city,” said Bhargava.