Chandni Chowk (Delhi) needs urgent attention to ensure public-convenience

Remove all encroachments, hawkers, vendors and extension of merchandise on footpaths

Encroachments is biggest problem of this area especially surroundings of Chandni Chowk including like in popular and over-crowded markets of Bhagirath Palace, Lajpatrai Market (Both Old and New) apart from adjoining wide roads like Dr HC Sen Marg, Ramchandra Dehlvi Marg (Esplanade Road Cycle Market), Dewan Hall Road where encroachers have developed parallel markets in these areas. Bhagirath Palace which used to be a posh residential colony has since been converted into a wholesale market for too many commodities like electric & electronic goods, medicines, surgical goods etc with thousands of shops with many of those as direct encroachment on public road. Fire Brigade found it tough to enter into Bhagirath Palace which witnessed two major fires resulting burning of too many shops only because of road and footpaths of the market encroached with unauthorized occupants. Even regular shopkeepers in main Chandni Chowk keep their merchandise on footpaths. Subhash Marg between Daryaganj and GPO is full of hawkers and vendors what to talk about Chandni Chowk and its surroundings! A massive drive with JCB machines should be launched in complete Delhi-110006 area to remove all encroachments, hawkers and vendors from complete Old Delhi. It is noteworthy that these unauthorized hawkers and vendors ultimately become encroachers of public land by establishing shops in place of their vending-carts. It is silly that honest law-abiding shopkeepers have to suffer heavily due to such illegal encroachers, hawkers and vendors.

Police-Booths should be set up at Central Verge of Chandni Chowk for multiple reasons

Police-booths were there on footpaths of Chandni chowk like near Fathepuri end of redeveloped Chandni Chowk. But the important police-booth was removed because of some objection or pressure by a few shopkeepers. Police booths are rather needed in complete Chandni Chowk because of drug-addicts, beggars, vendors, hawkers, encroachers and other miscreants now blooming in large occupying Central Verge of Chandni Chowk which was supposed to be a part of beautification of Chandni Chowk redevelopment project. Instead of being a beauty-project, Chandni Chowk has instead become a paradise for law-breakers including shopkeepers extending their merchandise on footpaths. Dream beauty-project has turned into an ugly looking bazaar with tourists, shoppers and others finding it hard to walk on roads and footpaths with unauthorized rickshaws plying in large number in otherwise No-Traffic-Zone. Best is to utilize central verge of Chandni Chowk as utility zone also by setting up police booths on central verge at important points coming under two police stations Lahori Gate and Kotwali (Chandni Chowk). For example, two police-booths one at Fatehpuri end and the other at crossing of Ballimaran and Katra Neel can be set up under area coming under Lahori Gate Police Station. Likewise police-booths can be set up at important points of Central Verge coming under Kotwali (Chandni Chowk) police-station. Suggested police-booths can be assigned duty to ensure making Chandni Chowk free of beggars, hawkers, vendors, drug-addicts, chain-snatchers, encroachers and other miscreants. System will restore beauty of central verge of Chandni Chowk apart from utilizing it the best in larger public interest. Suggested police-booths will also provide much-required safety at Chandni Chowk where Kucha Mahajani is situated being the biggest bullion-market of capital city of India apart from so many other jewelers having their shops in Chandni Chowk and Dariba.

Boom-barriers should be immediately removed especially considering medical emergencies

Boom-barriers installed to check entry of vehicles in No-Traffic-Zone of Chandni Chowk at junction of markets and roads connecting Chandni Chowk never served the purpose for which they were installed. Instead these have become a big obstacle in pedestrian movement since those on scooters enter footpaths of Chandni Chowk by side of boom-barriers. Unauthorised rickshaws cross boom-barriers below these by turning their rickshaws by 90-degrees. These boom-barriers prove to be big obstacles in case of medical emergencies. I faced much difficulty in taking my wife with a sudden fractured shoulder-bone on 24.02.2025 to a Daryaganj medical-center from Dariba due to boom-barrier installed at juncture of Dariba with Chandni Chowk. Otherwise also, because of heavy fine of rupees 20000 for entering in No-Traffic-Zone, there is voluntary compliance amongst motorized vehicles even without boom-barriers.

Make entrances of markets of Chandni Chowk smooth by removing stone-pillars in their fronts  

Stone-pillars were erected on both sides of footpaths and Central Verge. But it seems that perhaps by mistake, some stone-pillars on sides of footpaths are erected in front of entrances of by-lanes and markets (katras) adjoining Chandni Chowk. Such pillars should be removed to ensure smooth entry of hand-carts in these markets and by-lanes.

Hand-carts should be allowed in Chandni Chowk for loading and unloading for extended timings

Only authorized rickshaws are allowed in Chandni Chowk between 9 am to 9 pm. But wholesale markets usually open around 12 noon. Therefore for convenience of wholesale cloth-traders, at least hand-carts should be allowed to ply till 12 noon in Chandni Chowk to prevent further vanishing of wholesale cloth-trade from Chandni Chowk.

Water-logging in streets and markets joining Chandni Chowk

There is usual heavy water logging in streets and markets (katras) joining Chandni Chowk because of main Chandni Chowk Road having an upper ground-level than that of streets and markets (Katras). This problem also arises in case of choked sewers. Authorities should immediately solve the problem by taking DHMA authorities in confidence.

All post offices in vicinity of Chandni Chowk (Delhi) closed causing inconvenience to users of postal services in Asia’s biggest wholesale markets for so many commodities

All post-offices in and around Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi have been closed one after another causing big difficulty for users of postal-services in this biggest wholesale commercial hub of so many commodities. Postal-authorities in Delhi should most urgently go ahead for opening a post-office in Chandni Chowk area preferably in premises of some government building not only to prevent spent on rent but also to overcome problem of not finding a premises because present market-rent in Chandni Chowk may be much higher than stipulated by postal-authorities. Some such premises can be some portion of Town Hall (erstwhile MCD headquarters now vacant) or portion of buildings on both sides of Town Hall. Or it can be at a newly constructed building developed near Bhai Matidass Chowk under Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Plan. In the meanwhile, as a stand-by arrangement, some public-sector bank with spacious premises can be entrusted for at least opening a booking-counter for Speed and Registered Post may be by giving some commission to the concerned Bank for such postal-service. 

Utility Building built near Chandni Chowk must be fully and properly utilized

A utility-building especially built for various important public-facilities like post-office, banking and insurance needs was developed near Bhai Matidass Chowk in Chandni Chowk is lying vacant under authority of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). This building should be fully utilised by opening a post-office, an LIC branch and a branch of some public-sector General Insurance Company. Those having their insurance-policies in other areas because of non-existent of branches of LIC and other General Insurance Companies may be offered to transfer their policy to newly developed branches at this multi-utility building at Bhai Matidass Chowk.