Soon, multi-level parking lot in Chandni Chowk by North MCD to ease woes

In order to reduce parking menace in Chandni Chowk area, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has announced to construct a multi-level car parking at Gandhi Maidan. The Corporation said that the move will facilitate traders and visitors of Delhi’s most-crowded market as they will get sufficient space to park their vehicles.

Presently, the Corporation runs a one-storeyed parking facility at the site which accommodates less than 500 vehicles. The Corporation first decided to construct additional floors but due to several glitches, the idea was abandoned and a plan for multi-level parking lot was chalked out. 

The parking lot is likely to be built over an area of 12,000 square metre with the capacity of at least 1,700 vehicles at one time with three basement and two-three floors above surface. The project is expected to cost over Rs 158.7 crore which will be borne by the North MCD itself. The Corporation has said that it will start construction in next couple of weeks and complete the entire work within a year’s time.  

“The RP cell, in the beginning of the year, brought the proposal of developing the area and a decision was made to construct a car parking. Earlier we planned to construct more floors but later decided to dismantle the existing infrastructure. With an aim to construct a multi-level facility, we approved the feasibility report and detailed project report (DPR). The matter was brought to the Standing Committee and then to the House where it was finally approved,” said Pravesh Wahi, Chairman of Standing Committee.

A senior official of the RP cell said that the decision was taken keeping in view the parking woes in Chandni Chowk. 

“As the vehicular volume is increasing rapidly these days in and around the area, majority of vehicles are being parked on key roads of the Walled City causing bounty of problems to commuters and others. The move will help in minimising parking problem up to a maximum extent as the 

residents of nearby locality and other kinds of occupants can park their vehicles easily. In the earlier approved parking proposals we had handed over land ownership to private players in order to raise a one-time fund and avoid problems while running the parking lot but this time we have decided to construct the lot in our own capacity,” said an official.