NEW DELHI: The fate of Chandni Chowk redevelopment project now hangs in balance as the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has rejected the idea of placing public utilities such as power transformers, toilets, and police booth on the central verge.
In its ‘inspection report’ sent to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, the agency says the median on about 1.5 km stretch starting from the Red Fort crossing to Fatehpuri Masjid should remain clear for an uninterrupted view.
“After examining the conditions on the site, the DUAC team has concluded that the entire central verge can be kept free of transformers, toilets, police posts, telephone and electric switch boxes etc and the same can be accommodated on the sides,” says the report sent to the L-G with schematic drawings and suggestions for relocating the utilities to other locations in the vicinity.
A joint inspection of the ongoing work at Chandni Chowk by a team of various agencies such as North MCD, the PWD, the BSES, the DMRC, the DJB, and the police among others was done on May 29.
The survey was carried out after Baijal’s nod at a special meeting of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) to check the feasibility of relocation of power transformers to other locations.
A senior Delhi government official said Baijal had forwarded the DUAC report to the additional chief secretary (finance and home), who is also the chief nodal officer of the project, and the managing director of the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) for consideration. “The L-G has asked the SRDC to expeditiously examine the proposal in consultation with all stakeholders and submit a revised plan in a meeting to be convened for resolving the impasse,” said the official.
The meeting is likely to take place next week. In its report, the DUAC suggested that electric transformers be installed along the pavement wherever it is possible. The historic market will have 19 such electrical units. The Commission recommended that the authorities should camouflage transformers along the pavement with a screen or another method to keep the aesthetic value of the arcade intact.
“The proposed utilities on the central verge create a continuous trail of visuals as well as physical obstruction. A linear succession of transformers will mar the aesthetic of the historic street and block the serial vision of the pedestrian,” read the report. But, Sanjay Bhargava, president of Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, said the DUAC suggestions and observations were ‘erroneous’.
“They (DUAC experts) have not taken into account the problems faced by the shopkeepers, shoppers and a large number of both foreigners and Indians visiting the area. The observations are not acceptable to us. Placing transformers, police posts and toilets on footpaths abutting the shops are not acceptable. We outrightly reject the observations,” the Mandal's head said.