DDA plans warehouse, recreation club, amusement park and Delhi Eye

New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority has decided to give a boost of sorts to west Delhi's Kirti Nagar and Vikaspuri, east Delhi's Mayur Vihar and northwest Delhi's Rohini. Kirti Nagar's furniture market will get a warehouse, and Mayur Vihar will get what is being touted as the "Delhi Eye". Vikaspuri will get a recreational hub, and Rohini an amusement park. The projects received the lieutenant governor VK Saxena's approval during a review meeting on Wednesday.
Some land parcels have been identified and cleared of encroachment for these projects and stakeholder consultations have been held to assess the feasibility and demand for the facilities, officials said.In Kirti Nagar market, widely regarded as Asia's largest furniture and hardware market, there was an acute shortage of storage space, forcing traders to keep their goods on the road. This resulted in traffic snarls and encroachments."To address this issue, a decision was taken to utilise a large DDA plot to develop a warehouse complex on a licence fee basis. The facility will be rented out by the concessionaire to local traders for storage," an official said.The initiative is also expected to reduce dependence on warehouses in NCR towns, thereby cutting transportation costs and allowing traders to supervise their inventory efficiently.A total area of 49,457 sqm is earmarked in Kirti Nagar for the warehouse. The land is likely to be licensed for 33 years. The licensee will be responsible for financing, development, operation and maintenance of the project as per the licence deed. The site would be close to the Raja Garden area and thus cater to the requirements of manufacturing units there as well.DDA is already developing a mega warehouse complex in Rohini, Sector 36, spread over 23.2 acres, to further reduce reliance on NCR-based storage facilities. The project has two plots—10.43 acres (plot A) and 12.73 acres (plot B) — also to be offered on a 33-year licence. "Allocating land on a licence fee model ensures that the authority retains ownership of its land while generating annual revenue," the official added.The LG also approved the use of 2,000 sqm of land adjacent to the recently inaugurated Aarambh Pustakalaya in Vikaspuri for a recreational club.In Rohini's Sector 29, a 25.50-hectare land parcel was identified for an amusement park. In east Delhi, 15,552 sqm in Mayur Vihar is earmarked for the Delhi Eye — on the lines of the London Eye obswrvation wheel. Both locations are surrounded by planned and flatted residential societies."Creation of such recreational spaces will provide residents an opportunity to spend quality time with their families and enjoy a range of leisure activities. We are expecting huge footfall at both places," an official said.DDA officials said the decision to develop these parcels for recreational and commercial use was taken after receiving an overwhelming response from industry players keen to develop facilities under the licence fee model. Since the proposed developments are already permissible under the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD)-2021, no change in land use will be required."Once the contracts are awarded, the licensees will be able to expedite development. After reviewing the presentation, the LG directed officials to initiate groundwork related to tendering and allied processes at the earliest," officials said.