Opposing the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project, traders’ body will meet Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Traders are demanding that the Shahjahanabad Board officers are initiating campaign to destroy the commercial character of the area in the name of development of Chandni Chowk.

Traders’ body also claimed that local citizens, traders’ organisations were not taken into confidence by the Board; this impractical scheme is not acceptable to us.

The body also appealed to Delhi Government to develop all the three car parking at Dangal Maidan, Gandhi Maidan and Lal Quila and Chandni Chowk be declared as Zero Parking areas to help solve the problem.

Claiming Chandni Chowk a traders’ hub and not a tourist place, traders’ association said that in last two decades many schemes were framed but could not be implemented because the concerned officers framed scheme treating Chandni Chowk as a tourism centre.

“It is a vibrant trade centre where thousands of citizens resides and everyday lakhs of people come for their trading.  All of us want beatification but not such beautification which will make the lives of children, senior citizens living in the area difficult and destroy the trade,” a trader said.

 “We were never consulted by the Shahjahanabad Board. 

Initially we were called in a meeting but when we opposed “no vehicle zone beatification scheme”, then we were not invited in the subsequent meetings.

In this redevelopment project, BSES and DJB are the major agencies, in first phase - from December 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019 — BSES will construct ducts and required infra for shifting of transformers and moving overhead cables underground.

As per the UTTIPEC plan, 5.5 m wide carriageway on the both sides with a central verge, there will be a footpath along northern and southern carriageway of 5.75 m and 12.75 m wide respectively.

In second phase — from December 15, 2018 to April 30, 2019 — the DJB will carry out work of installation of water pipelines and sewer and after this construction of pedestrian zone and developmental of central verge will start.

According to Delhi Traffic advisory for the UTTIPEC project — the vehicles coming from Delhi Gate and intending to go to Chandni Chowk will be diverted on SP Mukherjee Marg.

These vehicles may be parked in the parking lots of Gandhi Maidan (HC Sen Marg), Dangal Maidan (SPM Marg) Church Mission road parking.