For the historic ruins of Old City, Games to bring no lease of life

Commonwealth Games provided an excellent opportunity to refurbish the Old City, but MCD has admitted defeat

Eight years of planning, an estimated interim budget of Rs 12 crore and nil expenditure — the ambitious plan of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to restore the lost glory of the Old City has failed to make any headway yet.

While the state is rushing to spruce up most parts of the Capital in time for the Games, MCD officials admit that most of the Old Delhi redevelopment projects are at a “standstill”. Barring road upgrade and streetscaping at S P Mukherjee Marg, Subhash Marg and Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, not much will be done in the Old City before the Games.

The Corporation, claim MCD city zone officials, is being “realistic”. “Redeveloping the Old City is a huge task and we do not want to start anything we will not be able to finish in time,” said Krishan Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, city zone. This was echoed by Municipal Commissioner K S Mehra, who is also the chairperson of the MCD Heritage Society, formed for conserving Old Delhi. Once the Games are over, MCD will “rethink” the proposed projects.

For now, the shopkeepers at SP Mukherjee Marg and Azad Hind market near the Red Fort have been given a new design “based on the lines of Janpath market”. The MCD has asked them to align their shops in accordance with it but they will have to be bear the costs.

The Projects

The MCD has made countless proposals for the redevelopment of the Walled City. Some of the most ambitious are:

* Traffic decongestion plan: In 2004, then transport minister Harun Yusuf’s decongestion plan was to reduce traffic in the most congested areas by introducing the “park-and ride” concept. But the proposed parking lots at Parade Ground and near Ramlila Maidan are yet to take off. Last year, the MCD proposed widening and streetscaping for the stretch between Fatehpuri Masjid and Red Fort, where eco-friendly trams were to be introduced.

* Conservation of havelis: While the Masterplan 2021 has identified the area as a ‘conservation zone’, hardly any effort has been made till date. The MCD Heritage Society had picked 775 heritage havelis from the INTACH list. These were notified by the state this year. Currently though, most structures like the haveli of Zeenat Mahal in Lal Kuan and Khazanchi ki haveli near Dariba Kalan have been abandoned by their owners and have been encroached upon.

* Shifting out wholesale markets: A High Court order and the requirements of the Masterplan 2021 stressed on the need for this, but the civic agencies have taken little action. The Walled City houses some of Asia’s largest wholesale markets like the chemical market at Lal Kuan, steel and transport market at Hauz Kazi, foodgrain market at Naya Bazaar and a spice market at Tilak Bazar.

* Jama Masjid redevelopment: Proposed in 2004, the plan got the DUAC approval last year. The civic body’s Rs 1,200-crore plan aims to redevelop and beautify the area around the mosque. The Meena Bazar too is to be redeveloped with 650 air-conditioned shops. For now, only “the garden will be made green and new signage will be installed,” officials said.

What ails the Old City?

The problems, say MCD officials, are many — the two most important ones being the lack of funds and multiplicity of authorities. They also say they have come to realise that it was “wrong” on their part to “float ambitious projects without confirming funding.” Besides, with agencies like the Delhi Development Authority and the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation involved, there is often an overlap. Sources in the MCD further say as many as 90 project files on development are “untraceable”.

And while the Old City continues disintegrating beneath encroaching shanties, cobwebs of wires and piles of rubbish, residents can only hope for a “more sustainable” development project once the Games are over.

Projects that failed to take shape

* Removal of overhead cables, creation of underground service utility ducts

* Widening roads, developing pavements and sidewalks and removal of encroachment

* Information kiosks, public toilets, signages, parking, revitalisation of residential areas

* Restoration of Kashmere Gate

* Refurbishing of road between Delhi Gate and Daryaganj, heritage corridor from Coronation Park to Qutub Minar which was to include heritage sites like Khooni Darwaza and Delhi Gate.