With the extensive sealing of shops in residential areas in different parts of Delhi, the city is set for a major disruption and change in lifestyle. The rationale for the ongoing sealing process is that the traders and shopkeepers have violated the provision of the Master Plan. In this context one should look at what exactly was the provision for shopping centres in the 1962 Master Plan.
Apart from recognising the existing commercial areas in the walled city and Connaught Place, the Plan proposed 15 District Centres to be located in different parts of the city to meet future commercial needs. The District Centres were to be, “composite centres with retail shopping, general business, commercial and professional offices, forwarding and booking, and local government offices, cinemas, restaurants and other places of entertainment”. In addition, local commercial areas were to be provided in residential areas and incorporated in the zonal plans.
In the few District Centres that have been built, provision was made for retail in the lower floors. But these shops never came about and the space was converted to showrooms and offices. This happened because the price was too high. Instead, units of shops began to settle in various residential areas. It was a slow process spread over many years, and many shopping centres like in Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, South Extension and Greater Kailash bear witness to this.
Why did this happen? There are several reasons for this, one of which was the absence of zonal plans that were to define the needs of different residential areas. Detailed zonal plans were never prepared. The other more potent factor was the sensitive balance between the needs of an area, land values, accessibility and visibility that determined where retail shops would be economically viable. Such parameters were not effectively taken note of by town planners. Planners failed further by not recognising the need to change plans once extensive retail had established itself in a particular location.
{{/usCountry}}Why did this happen? There are several reasons for this, one of which was the absence of zonal plans that were to define the needs of different residential areas. Detailed zonal plans were never prepared. The other more potent factor was the sensitive balance between the needs of an area, land values, accessibility and visibility that determined where retail shops would be economically viable. Such parameters were not effectively taken note of by town planners. Planners failed further by not recognising the need to change plans once extensive retail had established itself in a particular location.
{{/usCountry}}A farce from the DDA
It is a fact that by failing to build the 15 District Centres proposed in the 1962 Plan, a tremendous shortfall of commercial space has been created. By going into a denial mode with respect to the various new shopping centres that have sprouted in different areas over a period of 15-20 years (while still exploiting them), the DDA has done a gross injustice to Delhi’s citizens. The courts need to carefully consider the facts of how this happened before ordering wholesale sealing. The DDA cannot escape responsibility for this unfortunate state of affairs — they are guilty of gross mismanagement of development in the city.
The callous manner in which the DDA has handled the need for retail space is reflected in several examples. In the case of the Janakpuri District Centre, the office towers in the complex were built by developers on plots sold to them, while the DDA undertook to build the large two-storey shopping centre themselves. The building was completed in 1990, but the shops were not sold because of the very high reserve price fixed by the DDA. The complex remained empty for more than 15 years with no one being held answerable for the long period of blocked public funds. The shops were finally sold a few years ago at considerable profit. The fact that there was a genuine need for this shopping space 15 years ago is clearly established by the large number of unauthorised shops that came up during this intervening period in residential areas in nearby Tilak Nagar.
This lack of accountability, coupled with disregard for public need, is also manifest in the August Kranti Bhawan shopping complex adjoining Bhikaji Cama Place built by Hudco. Built on a four-acre site as part of the District Centre, the complex provides for a sizeable shopping centre, eating places, restaurants, boutiques, art gallery and service industry. The whole complex with its open spaces, including an open-air theatre, was completed in 1997. But it remains unoccupied to this day.
What justification is there for leaving these shops empty when there is such shortage of available commercial space? It would appear that the bureaucrats at Hudco are unable to overcome administrative procedures that would enable them to sell the space. No one has questioned why and how such a large development built with public funds has been allowed to remain unproductive for so many years. This, along with other examples, need to be carefully considered and evaluated by the judiciary, before continuing with the sealing operation.
A Plan that works
The only way to plan for the future of Delhi is to have a comprehensive and meaningful Master Plan, which must be preceded by the preparation of detailed Local Area Plans for different zones. Such plans must be made available for public comments, before being finalised. The process is tedious and time consuming and cannot be rushed through as is being proposed by the ministry. Just by notifying the change of use on 2,183 roads as mixed use, without carrying out a detailed and authentic survey, does not solve the problem. Detailed planning of each area is necessary, and basic problems of access, parking, servicing, garbage removal and fire fighting must be addressed. The proposals must consider current and future needs of each local area.
Links to surrounding development, ease of pedestrian access, effective landscaping and lighting, need to be part of a comprehensive design. The DDA, MCD and NDMC do not have the necessary technical skills to do such studies, but today there are enough qualified professionals available who may be commissioned to design and implement such proposals.
Planning cannot be a one-time exercise, as it has been up to now. It must be a continuous process, along with effective monitoring of development. The present set-up within the DDA has proved to be totally unfit to handle the future growth and development of the city, and needs to be dismantled and restructured. Otherwise, after the sealing exercise is over, the entire cycle of corruption will start once again.
Ranjit Sabikhi is a Delhi-based urban planner and architect. In this fortnightly column, he will be addressing urban issues that affect the city of Delhi and its people. If you have questions or wish him to address matters that affect you as a citizen of Delhi, send your e-mails toranjit@sabikhi.com