Wait for multi-level parking facilities just got longer

Thursday, Oct 21, 2010



New Delhi's wait for automatic multi-level parking lots, especially in the commercial hub of Connaught Place, seems to be an endless one. While three of them were supposed to be commissioned before the Games, not one has been completed till date.

The central commercial hub was supposed to have two multilevel parking — one at Baba Kharak Singh Marg (BKS Marg) and the other at Kasturba Gandhi Marg (KG Marg). While work on the one at BKS Marg will get over only by December, the one at KG Marg is yet to start.

The site in KG Marg was cleared in December 2009 and some amount of digging was done but work stopped after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) refused to give permission for the project as the protected monument of Agrasen ki Baoli is located just 300 metres from the spot. After completion, the 6,219-sq ft parking lot was to hold 1,582 cars.

"We have been asking for permission to go ahead with the construction, but nothing has come of it," said NDMC spokesperson Anand Tiwari. The delay is despite the clearance of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission, he added.

"However, the multi-level parking at BKS Marg will be ready by December and opened to the public next year," he said. The project was initially set for completion by June. When completed, the parking at BKS Marg will hold 1,408 cars. The third multi-level parking is being built at Sarojini Nagar and will also be ready for use only next year due to the delay in starting the work. It will hold 824 cars after completion. All three are being built on BOT basis with the NDMC earning about Rs 20 lakh from each of them annually.

The plan to build three multi-level parking lots was floated in 2007 to meet the Games deadline and solve the parking problems in the Capital.

Original news source http://sify.com/news/huge-jams-as-capital-s-schools-colleges-reopen-news-education-kksrk6ejach.html