ASI directed to build parking at Red Fort to check congestion

A bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice I S Mehta said the facility should be made operational from May 1.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to develop a temporary parking facility next to the T-5 parking lot at Red Fort to address the congestion problem at Chandni Chowk.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to develop a temporary parking facility next to the T-5 parking lot at Red Fort to address the congestion problem at Chandni Chowk.

A bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice I S Mehta said the facility should be made operational from May 1.

As part of the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation is constructing two multilevel parking lots at Gandhi Maidan and Dangal Maidan.

Madhav Das Park was earlier chosen as the site for the temporary parking until the two new lots are developed. But during a previous hearing last month, the ASI informed the court that parking was not permitted in any part of Madhav Das Park as per UNESCO guidelines.

According to the UNESCO guidelines no construction can be done within 100 metres of the protected monument.

Following the submission, the court had directed Delhi Traffic Police and ASI to figure out a solution. A meeting was convened on March 28 in the presence of the DCP (traffic, north) and officials of the PWD, North Delhi municipal corporation, Delhi Police and ASI.

According to the court order, during the meeting, a consensus emerged on a third parking option -- adjacent to the existing T-5 parking at Red Fort.

The court said on Tuesday, “Considering the fact that ASI had itself offered option 3 (a parking space adjacent to the T-5 parking) to the traffic police, which has been accepted by the latter, and further considering that ASI is already operating the adjacent parking facility at T-5, the court directs ASI to develop and operate the said facility at Option 3 with effect from May 1”.

“This will be a temporary parking facility to meet the problem of congestion till the redevelopment of Chandni Chowk is complete and the alternative parking facilities are made available,” it added. The temporary parking will be able to accommodate 2,000 vehicles. Matter will now be heard on May 27.