NDMC nod for smart parking at 150+ sites

The council has also approved setting up of two bodies — the Urban Arts and Culture Forum (UACF) and the Urban Design Forum (UDF)

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday cleared several proposals, including implementation of a smart parking system, and formation of committees for promoting public art and culture and working on urban design and landscaping, officials aware of the matter said.

NMCD’s authorised Automatic Multi Level Car parking at Behind Sheila Cinema Paharganj in New Delhi on Friday. (HT Archive)

Other proposals that the agency cleared include the construction of a library, procurement of electric cars and additional water tankers.

According to officials, the smart parking system will ensure that parking sites are centrally monitored and live occupancy state is made available on the existing NDMC application. It will be implemented at all of the agency’s 152 parking lots in New Delhi area for which an expert agency will be hired. The initiative will streamline parking management, reduce congestion, and improve mobility through the adoption of intelligent, integrated parking solutions, NDMC vice chairman Kuljeet Chahal said.

“We have cleared the proposal for selection of agency to design and implement the Intelligent Integrated Parking System, and revision of parking charges in NDMC area. The project will cover all 152 parking sites for a term of 10 years,” he added. Chahal said the agency will run the parking lots in market areas from 8am to 12am, while the deadline for non-market areas would be 11pm.

The council has also approved setting up of two bodies — the Urban Arts and Culture Forum (UACF) and the Urban Design Forum (UDF). Comprising of sectoral experts, the first body will advise NDMC on promoting visual public art and culture, while the latter will deal with issues of urban design, transport and street landscaping, officials said.

“The expertise of an advisory body will create visually compelling public art installations that beautify urban environments. It will provide opportunities for artists to showcase their work and tell stories of underrepresented communities through public art,” Chahal said.

Meanwhile, UDF will oversee rejuvenation of areas like Rajeev Chowk, Mandi House, Lodhi Colony, Chanakyapuri Diplomatic Area and Moti Bagh. “NDMC is facing traffic problems, and it’s pedestrian networks are not up to standards and need a complete overhaul. There is also a need to address periodic flooding, electrical issues and fixing old sewage networks. The body will help tackle these issues,” the official said.

The agency also cleared the construction of Jai Prakash Narayan Library at Mandir Marg at a cost of ₹14.57 crore .

Another ₹10.33 crore was sanctioned for procuring 28 new electric vehicles for NDMC works for a period of five years. The council also decided to procure 12 water tankers for water supply improvement at a cost of ₹ 5.46 crore. “These tankers will help improve the water supply during disruption periods as well as social gathering,” Chahal said.