Redevelopment of Delhi’s historic heritage Chandni Chowk completed, CM Kejriwal to inaugurate on April 17

New Delhi: The renovation and beautification work of the main road of Chandani Chowk, located in front of the historic heritage of Delhi, Red Fort, has been completed. It has been revamped keeping in mind the provision of various facilities for tourists coming from all over the world. CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate the same on April 17. The Kejriwal government has developed Chandni Chowk in a modern way to promote tourism in Delhi. There will be a ban on the movement of motorized vehicles on this road from 9 AM to 9 PM so that people coming to Chandani Chowk do not have to face problems including traffic jams.

CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated that the main road of Chandani Chowk has been redeveloped. "It is a historical heritage site and the entire area has been made very beautiful, seeking to bring back the glory of this old historical place. After the beautification of Chandani Chowk, tourism would get a  major boost, and people coming to Delhi would be attracted to pay a visit to Chandani Chowk."

The Kejriwal government had decided to renovate and beautify the main road of Chandani Chowk, which is right opposite the Red Fort, in light of its historic importance. Chandani Chowk has its own identity in the whole world. However, due to its dilapidated condition, people here had to face a lot of trouble. In addition to this, due to the tourist crowds and traffic jams, India’s international image was adversely affected. Therefore, the Kejriwal government started to enhance the beauty of Chandani Chowk from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque, so that the visiting tourists to admire its beauty.

During the renovation and beautification process, the provision of various facilities to the tourists has been taken care of. No stone was left unturned in order to enhance the beauty of Chandani Chowk and granite tiles have been used for the same. Arrangements have been made on both sides of the road to accommodate people coming to Chandani Chowk. There will be a ban on the movement of normal vehicles in Chandani Chowk from 9 am to 9 pm, with an exemption to emergency vehicles. During the reconstruction process, the needs of the disabled have also been taken care of. Space has been provided for planting small and big plants on both sides of the road, so that Chandani Chowk can be made green and beautiful - making it a sight to behold.

A Look at the Chandani Chowk Project

According to the design plan, the central median width of the road is 3.5 meters. There are already 18 transformers for power supply to street lights etc. The width of the road carriageway is 5.5 meters. For non-motorized vehicles, 5 to 10 meters wide pavement has been built on either side of the road. On the north side, the carriageway is 5.5 meters wide and the pavement is made 5 to 10 meters wide. The width of the central median is 3.5 meters. At the same time, the south side carriageway is 5.5 meters wide and the pavement is 5.5 to 11.5 meters wide. There is also a 2.5-meter footpath on either side of the road. Electric Vehicles will also be operated for the convenience of the senior citizens. This road has been developed from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque. A sum of 99 crores has been spent on this entire project. Work on the project began on 1st December 2018 and was targeted to be completed by November 2020, but due to the Covid-19, it got delayed by a year.

Overcoming the challenges faced during the beautification of Chandani Chowk

In the Chandni Chowk market area, the old pipeline has been replaced with new sewerage for water connection during the redevelopment process, while the existing sewerage network has been restored by cleaning and relaying the internal surface. Also, a dedicated water line has been installed for the street fire hydrant to reduce fire hazards on both sides of the road and inside the very congested and inaccessible markets. These structural reforms proved to be crucial since no complaints of waterlogging were filed this year from the area. Not only a stormwater drainage system has been built, but also has special emphasis has been given on the slope throughout the section with saucer drainage on both sides, to avoid blocking drains with plastic or waste.

Given that Chandani Chowk is the hub of street food, IGL’s gas pipeline has been laid across the entire section to strengthen public safety in these food joints. There are no plans for a vending zone in the area prohibited for hawking, due to judicial pronouncements from various courts. The major challenge for the redevelopment project was also the underground shifting of water pipelines, electric cables, etc.