Chandni Chowk revamp to be over by March 2020

According to Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation officials, the timeline has been reworked to ensure minimum inconvenience to locals.

The Chandni Chowk redevelopment project, work on which started on December 1, will be completed by March 2020. The Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) finalised the timeline for the execution of the project on Tuesday.

A redevelopment project is underway in Chandni Chowk which will be completed by March, 2020. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

According to Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation officials, the timeline has been reworked to ensure minimum inconvenience to locals. Earlier, the Delhi Jal Board and BSES (the discom), which started the work simultaneously, were to finish the work by April and September respectively.

As per the minutes of the meeting of Delhi PWD with all stakeholders on December 18, the timeline has been finalised.

Alka Lamba, SRDC director and area MLA, said, “The timeline has been worked out, but we are hopeful of completing the work before the deadline.”

The 1.5km-long stretch has been divided in four parts: Red Fort to Gurudwara; Gurudwara to Townhall; Townhall to Ballimaran and then till Fatehpuri. The width of the road has been divided into five zones.

“This has been done to ensure minimum inconvenience to locals and visitors while work is being carried out,” said Sanjay Bhargava, president of Chandni Chowk Sarvy Vyapar Mandal.

While the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has started work on the carriage towards Fatehpuri Mosque between Red Fort and Gurudwara and will complete it by January 10, BSES (the discom) is working on the central verge and will complete the work by April next year.

DJB will finish the work of relaying of sewer and water pipelines by October 2019 and BSES will shift transformers and lay cables underground by November next year.

Delhi PWD, which has to carry out the major road redevelopment work, will start the work from April 1 next year, as per the timeline finalized by it. PWD is expected to level the streets with pavements to create 6-13 metre wide pedestrian zones along the shops on either side of the road. It will provide street furniture, toilets, water ATMs, kiosks etc on the central verge. It will also construct a dedicated lane for non-motorised vehicles on the stretch. The entire work will be completed by March 15, 2020, as per the timeline.