A walk down Old Delhi’s winding lanes may not bring forth the sight of old havelis, sadans and katras as builders change the face of the area. Losing its sheen minus the old-style architecture, the Walled City is gradually transforming into a behemoth of flats, often raised by neglecting fundamental laws of construction.
Such rampant construction has disfigured the area’s heritage character. There are havelis now that are left only with their majestic gates; the rest constitutes flats and shops.
“Such is the demand that every bit of property sells here — be it a flat, an old house or a haveli,” says a broker who does not wish to be named for fear of the “builder lobby”.
“Not a single structure these builders construct has proper foundation,” says an longtime resident of Old Delhi. “These buildings support each other as they stand cheek by jowl.”
But properly built or not, the demand is more than meeting the supply: a two-room flat today costs Rs 4 to Rs 7 lakh, a three-room set goes for Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh and one has to shell out anything between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 14 lakh for a four-room flat.
As the construction boom goes on, more areas of the Walled City are coming under the builder’s hammer. Kucha Chelan and Lal Gali in Delhi Gate bazaar and Gali Kale Khan in Pataudi House have nothing but flats. And Chitli Qabar, Gali Shankar and Matia Mahal are next in the line.
“You would not find a single alley in Old Delhi that does not have flats,” says a resident.
Booming construction means money for everyone, say residents. “The builder makes big money and feeds the MCD officials, police and local politicians,” a resident says.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone, but Old Delhi. Unevenly planned buildings are not just eyesores but are hazardous, too. A case in point: the under-construction Haveli Azam Khan collapsed in 2002 and resulted in three deaths, as did the Lal Kuan building collapse in 1998. Both were “modern structures” under construction, with areas earmarked for flats.
“Building bylaws for Old Delhi are never implemented and civic officials are often mute spectators even as damage is being done to the city,” a resident says.
Admitting the presence of the builder mafia, MCD officials say unauthorised construction in Old Delhi areas have come under control for the past one year. “Unauthorised construction has almost stopped in the Walled City due to the demolition and sealing drive over the last one year,” says Vijay Singh, MCD Deputy Commissioner (City Zone). “We have sealed some buildings that were being modified into flats.
“The 2021 Masterplan has set a renewal plan for Old Delhi under the ‘special area’ plan. We have three years to draft the plan and new building bylaws will be introduced for this area.”
But unless drafts are transformed into action soon, “yeh sheher phhat jaayega (this city will burst at its seams),” a longtime Old Delhi resident says.