NDMC seeks to redevelop terrace garden at Palika

The garden’s development will include a landscaped green space with pedestrian pathways, designer lights and vertical gardens

Currently lying in a barren, unkempt state, the rooftop garden at Palika Bazar in Connaught place will be revived by July this year as part of the beautification works being carried out in the Capital in the run up to the G20 summit, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

The New Delhi Municipal Council has invited bids to rejuvenate the old garden space located on top of the underground market. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The New Delhi Municipal Council has invited bids to rejuvenate the old garden space located on top of the underground market, the officials said.

While the work of waterproofing treatment of the terrace of the market has been completed, subsequent phase of the garden’s development will include a landscaped green space with pedestrian pathways, designer lights and vertical gardens, said NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay.

“Besides horticulture work, the redevelopment work will involve civil and electrical features. We will also completely revamp the fire fighting mechanism. Once complete, the terrace garden will feature landscaped pathways for pedestrians, an inbuilt sprinkler system and designer railings,” Upadhyay added.

The popular garden space was last revamped before the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the three-acre space has been lying neglected for the last four years.

The new structure will feature stainless steel railings and new pathways with granite stone. The civic body will develop a new 30cm-deep soil layer on top of the market roof where both artificial and natural doob grass will be planted.

A senior NDMC official said that more than 1.5 lakh ornamental plants and shrubs will be planted in the first phase of beautification of the terrace garden.

“The garden will host sections of Orange Jasmine Murraya exotica, fire bush (Hamelia patens), Hibiscus and Calliandra. A dedicated section will be featuring various forms of Bougainvillea varieties such as Sobhra, Thima, Marry Palmar and Cherry Blossoms. The garden will feature two type of hedges made up of Red Iresine (Blood leaf plant) and Duranta Goldiana,” the NDMC official said, requesting anonymity.

The electrical work in the new garden will comprise LED bollard lights and concealed LED bricks along the pathways, and street lights with a heritage look.

Vinay Kumar, who heads the Palika Market association, said that the market originally had a very lush green garden on top of it but the problem of seepage and leaking from roof had. “We have seen a series of maintenance works after in every five to six years. The current green space is in a barren state for the last three years,” he said.

Kumar said that traders have been demanding the rejuvenation of the green belt for several years now.

“We have written countless letters to NDMC. We are satisfied with the waterproofing work carried out this time but some cracks have started emerging in the dome area and the civic body should repair these cracks before the horticulture work begins,” he added. The waterproofing work has been undertaken by removing the earth and laying a layer of 3mm PU polyurethane layer.

The market, constructed in the late 1970s, is spread over an area of around three acre and houses more than 400 shops. It is estimated to have a footfall of around 15,000 visitors on a daily basis ? and is known for its comparatively cheap, and at times fake, clothes and electronics items.

In 2009, it was listed as a “notorious market” by the Office of the United States Trade Representative for selling counterfeit products in large quantity, including pirated software and media.