Accusing the Delhi Government and the North Municipal Corporation of being “apathetic” towards heritages of old Delhi, Union Minister Vijay Goel on Thursday demanded that the Central Government should intervene to save it.
He also took out a “Save Heritage, Save Chandni Chowk “ march in Chandni Chowk to highlight the situation. During a walk from Digambar Jain lal Mandir to Fatehpuri Masjid, Goel was joined by a group of residents and members of a trade association, who carried placards to raise awareness about the need to protect the centuries-old architectural legacy of the area.
During the march, he also stopped at a few places, like the front of the historic Town Hall, and addressed the crowd. “Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk in particular, has been home to beautiful havelis and the syncretic culture ('ganga jamuni tehzeeb') of India but its condition is not satisfactory now.
“Foreign tourists come to the city but there is so much disorder. Electric wires hang in the streets from poles, and filth is found strewn in the lanes and open areas of markets. Both the Delhi government and north corporation are apathetic to the situation of heritage buildings,” he said.
Goel also reiterated his demand, seeking action from the Delhi Government and the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) to save the havelis and “prevent the area from illegal construction”. In the previous survey of Delhi government, 551 havelis were listed. Many of these havelis are now being “destroyed” and converted into markets, he alleged.
SRDC is a special purpose vehicle set up in 2008, with members from various agencies, with the main objective to promote preservation of built and natural heritage in Delhi. Preservation of Chandni Chowk area had been taken up under the SRDC plan years ago, but no progress has been made on it.
Goel said this walk was “not a political thing” but for a “much large cause” of heritage preservation, and sought people's support. “Our fight is not against a few ordinary people who are doing illegal things, but against corrupt officials and greedy builders, who are trying to demolish our havelis and old heritage,” he said.