₹99 Crore Chandni Chowk Makeover Fails to Curb Sanitation, Encroachments, and Traffic Woes

Lack of maintenance and official accountability reduce Delhi’s iconic heritage street to chaos despite massive redevelopment efforts

5 July 2025, New Delhi

Four years after its ₹99-crore facelift, the historic Chandni Chowk stretch in Old Delhi is once again buried under the weight of poor maintenance, overflowing garbage, illegal encroachments, and traffic chaos, raising serious questions about the sustainability of urban redevelopment projects in the national capital.

Launched with the promise of turning the 1.3-kilometer stretch—from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid—into a world-class pedestrian zone, the Chandni Chowk beautification project was completed in 2021 amid much fanfare. Wide walking spaces, red sandstone tiles, ornamental lights, benches, and green patches transformed the area into a model corridor. But on the ground today, most of that transformation lies in disrepair.

Overflowing dustbins, broken pavements, damaged street furniture, and a complete breakdown in the enforcement of traffic restrictions have taken over the once-organized stretch. Pedestrian-only timings from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. are routinely violated by e-rickshaws, bikes, and even delivery vans, making walking both difficult and unsafe. Vendors and illegal stalls have reoccupied the pavements, leaving hardly any room for pedestrians.

Local shopkeepers and traders, who initially welcomed the project, now express deep frustration. “It was a beautiful change when it started. But there’s no maintenance now. Everything is getting dirty and broken again. Rickshaws and carts are back in the middle of the road,” said Anil Verma, a trader who runs a family shop near the Town Hall.

The situation worsened after the Public Works Department’s (PWD) housekeeping contract expired in late 2023. The department, citing pending payments of nearly ₹5 crore, pulled back its cleaning services. Though the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was expected to take over, the handover never materialized properly, leaving the heritage corridor without any regular maintenance or coordination.

The Chandni Chowk Vyapar Mandal filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in response to public complaints. Responding to this, the Delhi High Court, in multiple hearings, called the state of affairs “shocking” and instructed authorities to form a joint task force to enforce cleanliness, remove illegal encroachments, and restore order. However, ground reports suggest that most directions remain only on paper.

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Urban development experts say the situation reflects a larger problem with infrastructure projects in India: the lack of long-term maintenance planning. “It’s easy to build new roads and install tiles. The real challenge is maintaining them. If regular cleaning, enforcement, and accountability are missing, even the best projects will collapse,” said urban planner Madhav Raman.

With Chandni Chowk being one of Delhi’s most visited tourist spots and a key business hub, citizens and experts are calling on the Delhi and central governments to step in. Unless urgent steps are taken, the ₹99-crore project risks becoming yet another example of misplaced priorities and missed opportunities in city planning.

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