Nehru Place to get a face-lift

Nehru Place has never been a very attractive place to visit. It's only out of

compulsion that one visits the place. The place once known as the Mecca of IT

business and in recent times on the verge of losing life, is being resuscitated

by DDA.

After running from pillar to post, the people of Nehru Place finally had

someone to lend an ear to their woes. "It was not an easy road. It took

several meetings over the last four years, to turn the attention of the

authorities towards the betterment of Nehru Place, and DDA at last decided to

improve the conditions of the place," says Anil Sehgal, President, Nehru

Place Improvement and Welfare Association.

Says JP Bansal, Director, Frontline, "We had presented innumerable

petitions to the earlier Mayor Shanti Desai and had also met the officials of

MCD, DDA and some police officials too. But no action was taken." He added,

"What I have heard is that DDA has undertaken to refurbish the main plaza

street.

Apart from this they have also plans to come out with some multiplexes, for

which they have cleared a place, which was earlier infested with beggars. They

have also decided to take down all the illegal hoardings." At the moment,

Nehru Place faces a number of problems -- lighting, hawkers and encroachments.

According to a reseller, going around Nehru Place during rains is an ordeal with knee-deep water all around.

Earlier it was the most sought after place for IT business but in recent

times, according to some people, there has been a trend of people either moving

out of Nehru Place or preferring some other place. But, Sehgal waived all these

speculations as a mere figment of imagination of some people and says, "The

companies that have shifted from here, were mainly public sector undertakings, who had built their own offices."

Till now the place reeked of dumped garbage, unauthorized dhabas, hawkers and

beggars making the place a mess. But, now it seems that it will soon be a thing

of the past with DDA having already started its drive to clean up the place of

all these menaces. With a growing number of people, every nook and corner of the

place has been occupied, making the place congested. According to Sehgal, people

who have been found encroaching any public space, have been served notices.

Apart from this, one of the major problem that the people face here is that of

parking. But work seems to have started to resolve this issue too. "The

work on the Eros parking has already started," informs Anil Sachdeva,

President, Delhi Computers Traders Association.

According to the resellers, earlier there was a minor tussle as to under

which authority did Nehru Place come under but later the problem was resolved

and DDA was given the jurisdiction of the place. DDA also has elaborate plans to

construct a road from Nehru Place to Kalkaji temple and are also contemplating

to build a flyover too.

Though the reseller community is quite happy over the action that have been

taken for the betterment of the Nehru Place, but they also don't think that it

will be that smooth. Shyam Modi, Director, Modi Peripherals, says, "Though

DDA has plans to remove the hawkers, but it will be quite a difficult job."

No doubt that difficulties will be there but now at least someone has taken up

the initiative.

DDA had given a time period of six months to get started on the projects and

some work seems to have been undertaken -- cleaning the place, removal of the

illegal dhabas etc. DDA has also opened an office in Nehru Place, where people

having any complaints can approach. Apart from this, Sehgal informed that to resolve the

problem of electricity they have tied up with local electricity authorities and

are building fault repair rooms in certain buildings. This should resolve the

basic problem of regular current in the area and will also lessen the use of the

generators.

KARMA NEGI



NEW DELHI  (CNS)