NEW DELHI: The historic markets of Sadar Bazar, Tilak Bazar and Khari Baoli in old Delhi will lose their sheen partially in the New Year, as the chemical traders have to vacate their premises immediately.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) issued an order on Friday to shift their shops. “All shop owners dealing in chemicals are granted time up to 31.12.2018 to close down and shift to their designated relocation sites,” it said.
Those failing to do will face sealing action from New Year onwards to ensure compliance with the Delhi High Court order titled ‘Society for Awareness and Development v/s UOI & Ors’, the order signed by Deputy Commissioner, Sadar Paharganj Zone, Ruchika Katyal said.Similar notices were issued to them earlier this year as well to shift to the Integrated Freight Complex (IFC) in Narela. This is a 25 hectares large area developed especially by the DDA for a chemical market 17 years ago.
After a PIL was filed in the court, a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar had remarked that crores of money was spent on developing the site. However, it was not put into use. The result being that the site was now used for open defecation.
“DDA had dished out 640 plots to traders, but not a single businessman had shifted regardless of the new market being neatly connected to the road network and having good sewerage, water supply and storm-water drains,” explained North MCD spokesperson YS Mann.“At the same time, old Delhi’s congestion problem and lack of fire safety remained a headache for us in terms of frequent blazes and short circuits that occur there,” he added.
Traders were reluctant to shift from Old Delhi, which is accessible by Metro to all parts of the city, to far-flung Narela. According to an estimate, 25% of the total chemical industry in Old Delhi accommodates retail gross sales.
Finding labour force a major headache
There were worries regarding the workforce too. “Where will the labour stay?” a trader questioned. “It will be more difficult to get employees in Narela than in the Walled City,” he said