Gandhi Maidan parking in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk finally takes off

The much-awaited ‘multilevel parking cum commercial complex’ at Gandhi Maidan in Chandni Chowk will finally see light of the day.

Union minister of science and technology, Dr. Harshvardhan, on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of the project that has a capacity to accommodate over 2,300 cars.

The facility will benefit traders in nearby markets such as Chawri Bazar, Kinari Bazar, Khari Baoli, Nai Sadak and Dariba Kalan. Shoppers and tourists visiting the Walled City will also find easy space to park their vehicles in the neighbourhood where parking is a huge task.

One of the long-pending projects of the north Delhi municipal corporation, it was conceived way back in 2013. The Delhi high court had in 2018 had taken the corporation to task for delaying the then ₹445-crore multi-level parking cum mall project and ‘losing revenue over it’.

Addressing the event, the minister said the facility would help shoppers who visit Old Delhi, especially at the time of festivals when the markets are heavily crowded.

The facility will be an eight-storeyed building with three basements. The basements will have parking facilities and public conveniences. The ground and upper floors will be used for parking and commercial purposes.

“It will have a capacity to house 2,338 cars. The complex will be equipped with modern facilities such as CCTV, lifts for passengers, fire-fighting system and car/e-rickshaw battery-charging facilities,” said leader of the house, north corporation, Tilak Raj Kataria.

North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta said the corporation is working on 40 different projects to ease parking problems in this part of Delhi. “

This multilevel parking cum commercial complex would be constructed in a 18,524 square metre area at a cost of ₹1,000 crore on a PPP model. We will not spend a single penny. The project would be completed by September 2020,” Gupta said.