South Delhi’s urban villages of Chirag Delhi, Shahpur Jat, Greater Kailash II and Sheikh Sarai — hot spots for history, heritage and urbanisation — are set for major overhaul.
With a new underground metro line coming up in the area, the Delhi Urban Art Commission has proposed creating city-wide linkages, which are walkable and accessible with improved connectivity in the region.
StudyThe study noted that Chirag Delhi and its precinct is characterised by major city arterials that include the Bus Rapid Transit, an under construction underground metro line and a segment of the Outer Ring Road that is often choked on account of a bottleneck further east.
It also noted that in the areas under study, residents have carried out illegal construction blocking light and vision on the street.
Heritage routeThe study proposes a trail from Press Enclave to Panchsheel. The heritage proposal includes creating a route connecting various heritage sites like the tomb of Chirag Dilli, Sheikh Salauddin and Satpula along a continuous network.
The heritage route connects to public transport nodes. Metro and bus access points are within 500 metre radius of developments and heritage structures.
Some of the strategies to improve the area will include creating city-wide linkages and introducing connectivity at city scale by improvements in system continuities, nullahs, greenways and roadways; anchoring development parcels in the neighbourhood to support needs, efficiency in land utilisation and spatial continuities; making provision for civic amenities within the precinct; distributing Development Rights (FAR) beyond individual sites to the entire precinct; increasing density and connectivity of road networks and providing for alternate movement links; and upgradation of infrastructure.
The water management strategy aims at renewing the canals to accommodate leisure activities, green trails, cycle tracks.
Sewage Treatment Plants would be provided at identified pressure points.
Besides sludge tanks and retention ponds, water harvesting would be promoted through recharge of forest lands. Use of reed beds for water treatment has also been proposed.
The development of infrastructure includes adding a new area segment at southern end of Chirag Delhi, creating a connector to Press Enclave Marg and Outer Ring Road connecting with adjacent precincts.
