New Jama Masjid revamp plan gets nod, Meena Bazaar may not be shifted

The new plan — supposed to be implemented in two phases —carries forward some of the proposals from an earlier plan that was mooted last year.

The plan to redevelop the precincts of city’s grand old mosque — Jama Masjid — received a major boost earlier this week, with the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) giving its go ahead to a fresh revamp plan in its board meeting on Wednesday.

A view of cordoned off roads dug up as part of reconstruction work under the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

The new plan — supposed to be implemented in two phases —carries forward some of the proposals from an earlier plan that was mooted last year.

“The project will be implemented in two stages. The beautification of the streets and the peripheral adjuncts, which do not need stakeholder consultations, will start immediately. The second stage, which involves the development of the dargahs, the Meena Bazaar and upgradation of facilities of electrical and plumbing services, will be initiated after receiving approvals from the stakeholders,” said Pradeep Sachdeva, urban designer and architect of the project.

The need to redevelop and restore the area around the 17th century mosque has been in the offing since 2006 when the first master plan was submitted to the Delhi High Court by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

However, the project kept getting delayed due to lack of consensus among various stakeholders. This time, however, the SRDC is confident of implementation and has directed the architect to begin work immediately.

The first master plan had been approved by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) in 2009, when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was carrying out the project. In 2012, the project was taken over by the Public Works Department (PWD). “We had wanted to complete the redevelopment of the Jama Masjid along with that of Chandni Chowk. However, in case of Jama Masjid the negotiation of the proposal to relocate Meena Bazaar took up a lot of time due to which we decided to go ahead ad finish Chandni Chowk’s redevelopment first,” said Alka Lamba, Chandni Chowk MLA, who is also a member of the board of directors in the SRDC.

Officials said Jama Masjid’s restoration process was mainly delayed owing to confusion over relocation of Meena Bazaar, a sprawling market in front of the mosque that comprises around 600 shops.

The original plan sought the relocation of Meena Bazaar to a new building near the Parade ground, a move that met with a lot of opposition from local shopkeepers. The architects of the plan were then asked to revise this proposal. The revised plan proposes to leave the Meena Bazaar as it is. “However, we are still in negotiation with the shopkeepers. They do not have any objection to relocation, provided the new building is first constructed,” said Lamba.

The old plan had also proposed the consolidation of the facilities of BSES and the DJB and shifting them underground in the area currently occupied by the Meena Bazaar. However, now that Meena Bazaar may not be shifted, these utilities will be upgraded and reorganized at their current locations.

The revised plan has also done away with an elaborate wuzukhana (space for ablution) which was devised to be placed near the Shahi Darwaza.

Speaking about the delay in implementation of the plan, scholar of political Islam and author Hilal Ahmed said that lack of political will and appeasement of rich and powerful elite of the Jama Masjid area were responsible for the delay. “That has been the reason as to why there has not been any effort to involve the local community in the process at all,” he added.

The restpration project has met with mixed responses from residents and shopkeepers who inhabit this Mughal-era quarters. “We have nothing against the development of this area. However, we keep hearing rumours that the famous Meena Bazaar will be moved. That disappoints us,” said Mohammad Jamal, who runs a crockery shop at bazaar.

Social activist Haji Mian Faiyaz Uddin, who also owns a hotel in the vicinity, said: “When any place is developed, some people will benefit and some others will suffer. However, in the long run, developing this area will reap maximum benefits for all. The importance of this monument will increase and our businesses will also thrive.”

Ahmed Bukhari, who is currently the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, believes that the government should carry out the development of the precincts but must also consult the local people and look into the area’s social development. “Development should be done in a way that is sustainable and the funds are not wasted,” he said.