Part of Asian Games Village in Delhi to be redeveloped by NBCC

NBCC and HUDCO signed a ₹117 crore MoU for development projects in multiple cities, including reconstructing flats in New Delhi's Asian Games Village.

New Delhi

Finer details of the redevelopment are not finalised. (Representative photo)

The NBCC and Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to execute several development projects in multiple cities, including New Delhi, which will see the reconstruction of residential flats in the Asian Games Village.

In an official statement, the NBCC said MoUs worth ₹117 crore were signed by HUDCO chairman Sanjay Kulshrestha and NBCC chairman KP Mahadevaswamy, for the projects in Panchkula, Kaushambi, Ahmedabad and New Delhi.

“Under this agreement, NBCC will spearhead the development of a commercial complex at Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, the integrated redevelopment of HUDCO’s land parcel in Panchkula, the construction of new blocks at HUDCO’s Regional Office in Ahmedabad, and the reconstruction of residential flats at the Asian Games Village Complex in the national capital,” NBCC said in a statement.

Officials said that while several buildings in the Asian Games Village will be redeveloped, it is a small component of the total project. “The finer details of the project are yet to be finalised,” an official said.

Dr Ravi Bhutani, from the Asiad Village society said that there are some flats and a guest house area owned by HUDCO, which may form part of the redevelopment. “The RWA is not involved in the process and it does not pertain to general redevelopment of the entire residential area. These are iconic spaces designed by Raj Rewal and we hope the visual harmony is maintained.”

Constructed in 1982 in New Delhi, the Asian Games Village was designed by Raj Rewal to accommodate the Asian Games athletes, units that would later be sold to the public.

The type-based design brief for 500 units on a 35-acre plot was created by an urban pattern of low-rise, high-density development representative of the typical Indian ‘mohalla ’ or community, creating cluster formations ideal for the Indian climate, stepping away from the norm of hitherto seen stereotypical units by introducing variance in scale and elements, the Raj Rewal associates in the description of the project state.

The concept is based on the arrangement of narrow shaded pedestrian streets sequentially linking clusters, open spaces and commercial and recreational areas. The peripheral roads are connected to the cul-de-sac parking squares, which in turn give way to individual garages or car porches attached to the houses or apartment blocks. The plan deliberately deviated from the characteristic trend of repetitive units and disjointed open spaces usually associated with DDA housing, it adds.