The Hindu : New Delhi News : No end in sight to Dilli Haat parking chaos

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

No end in sight to Dilli Haat parking chaos

By Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI, MAY 4. There is no end in sight to parking woes of Delhiites and tourists who visit one of the Capital's most happening places -- Dilli Haat - every day. Despite promises by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) authorities as well the Delhi Transportation and Tourism Development Corporation, which has been running this place, no immediate solution to this vexed issue is visible.

On an average, over 3,000 people visit Dilli Haat every day while the number gets just doubled at week-ends or during special events and festivals. And to meet this rush, there is parking space for just around 500 vehicles adjacent to Dilli Haat while some prefer to park just opposite the venue at the parking meant for shoppers visiting the adjacent INA market.

People have been pleading for extra parking space, but the authorities concerned, despite having a couple of proposed projects with them, have not paid heed. As a result, with the number of visitors thronging Dilli Haat increasing, lack of parking space is now often creating chaos on the main road just opposite the unique exhibition ground.

The DTTDC has been asking NDMC to provide the vacant land just behind Dilli Haat so that it could be used for parking, but all their pleas so far have gone unanswered. Ironically, the Council which had already performed the foundation-laying ceremony of an ambitious project just opposite Dilli Haat, comprising a multi-level parking, is yet to start the construction work for the same.

Significantly, it was on December 25, 2001, that the Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, had laid the foundation-stone for this ambitious project. Interestingly, the ceremony had also marked the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday. In the third phase of the project, the NDMC had planned to construct a multi-level car parking that will mainly cater to the parking demands of those visiting "Dilli Haat". But over two years have passed since then, and as the construction work of phase I is yet to commence, phase III still seems to be a distant dream.

Seeing no immediate solution is sight, the DTTDC has been proposing to the Council to hand over the vacant land behind Dilli Haat, but the latter's lackadaisical approach has left the Tourism Department officials fuming. And till someone comes out with a solution to this problem, Dilli Haat visitors will continue to struggle to find parking space.

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