Delhi Plans to Demolish Phar Ganj and Build High-Rise Buildings

gentoo · Apr 14th, 2007, 05:11

It is a scene much-photographed by backpackers to India, who stay in Pahar Ganj's cheap hotels, a stone's throw from the New Delhi railway station at the heart of the capital. But the city authorities view this thronging, vibrant stretch of land as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the city.

A new government vision document for the capital, the Delhi Master Plan, proposes that area be demolished and be replaced by high-rise apartment blocks.

International Herald Tribune

New York Times

NB: Check out the different pictures used to accompany the stories. Both stories are written by the same reporter, working for sister newspapers. The copy is slightly different too.

psfb · Apr 14th, 2007, 19:22

Damn - Delhi won't be as interesting without the main bazaar! Won't be as affordable for us either, and you can't beat it for convenient location to the railway station.

Maybe we need to lobby the National Trust of India to get it preserved as an area of historical importance!

kullukid · Apr 14th, 2007, 21:32

NO!

KK

ananda2193 · Apr 14th, 2007, 21:42

From my selfish point of view that would be a crying shame. I love the hustle and bustle there.
It's the same everywhere. Kick poor people out of a neighborhood that has real estate value and put up expensive buildings.

And where are all of those people going to go. I don't think they'll be able to afford those new apartments.

I hope today is April fools day.

PeakXV · Apr 14th, 2007, 21:53

... but but but but isn't that special little shanty town the real India!

... guess there are at least a few others who beg to differ.

the opoponax · Apr 14th, 2007, 23:13

just to reassure everybody, keep in mind that just because someone draws up a plan for a city, it doesn't mean it will actually happen.

the copy in the Times article definitely uses shaky terms like "hopes", "dreams", "plans for the future", "will attempt to..." etc. things that mean almost nothing in the scope of physically changing the face of a city.

for instance, here in New York, there has been talk for years of a subway along 2nd Avenue, which is actually a much needed change which won't permanently displace anyone or harm anything tangible. nobody is even debating whether it's a good idea or not. i'm talking 30-40 years of "planned" construction. guess what, even now there's still no concrete date set to break ground on that new subway line that the city has put into the Official Plan every couple of years since the 1960's.

back around the same time, there were firm plans to bulldoze a lot of downtown Manhattan to create a cross-town expressway through the city. in the end, residents put up such a fuss that the plans were put on hold, and it never happened. now that area is one of the poshest in the city, without a single demolition or "urban renewal" overhaul. it's still a warren of picturesque winding narrow streets, with gourmet restaurants and designer shops snuggled in.

this sort of thing can be stopped, and a lot of the time it just runs aground without any particular opposition. these sorts of projects need massive resources and public support to go forward. Paharganj, as a major tourist mecca and source of hotel revenue, could easily be spared.

edited to add -- if you want to know why bougie tourists are so freaked out by the idea of India being dirty, dangerous, unsanitary, and generally hellish, and treat the whole thing as if they are astronauts heading into uncharted territory, check out the photos, captions, headline, and lede of the New York Times version of that article...

psfb · Apr 15th, 2007, 07:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by the opoponax

edited to add -- if you want to know why bougie tourists are so freaked out by the idea of India being dirty, dangerous, unsanitary, and generally hellish, and treat the whole thing as if they are astronauts heading into uncharted territory, check out the photos, captions, headline, and lede of the New York Times version of that article...

ROTFLMAO - I can just imagine

Have you got a link?

PeakXV · Apr 15th, 2007, 07:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by psfb

ROTFLMAO - I can just imagine

Have you got a link?

The Times link is included in the op.

psfb · Apr 15th, 2007, 07:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

The Times link is included in the op.

Oops - missed that one

It says that the plan came into effect in February - I hope that's a slow moving plan.

grravi · Apr 15th, 2007, 09:59

Things happen slowly in India, a project like this will have a lot of pulls and pushes from various vested interests. But I believe that this should be done. Paharganj area is crowded, cramped, unsanitary and a fire hazard. It should be brought down and replaced with better planned construction. Hopefully the development plans will include budget hotels to take care of the tourists.

jaat · Apr 15th, 2007, 11:08

finally

Nick-H · Apr 15th, 2007, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaat

finally

Ummm, yes?

Quote:

Originally Posted by grravi

Things happen slowly in India

Actually, things can happen astonishingly fast in India! Especially when if (I know nothing about Delhi) the politicians are related to the developers.

Unfortunately also, the demolition stage of these things can be very quick. Then comes the head-scratching and wondering about the next stage! Isn't it a regular event in Mumbai that they demolish an area of slums and then realise they've displaced thousands of essential workers?

psfb · Apr 15th, 2007, 13:50

Yep - India is sounding more and more like Egypt everyday

Do they have the Egyptian habit of only half completing building construction projects as well so that large areas look either half built or half demolished?

Nick-H · Apr 15th, 2007, 14:54

The private ones go up very fast, probably aided by the frequency of flouting planning controls and the lack of official inspection.

One day there's a beautiful old house, then suddenly its a block of flats

tongoka · Apr 15th, 2007, 16:12

Personally I would be very sad to see it destroyed, I have some great memories of the area. Forgive my ignorance, but what happens to all the businesses and homes that are there? Does the government give these people money or anything?

Apr 14th, 2007, 05:11	#1
gentoo Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: California Posts: 19	Delhi Plans to Demolish Phar Ganj and Build High-Rise Buildings It is a scene much-photographed by backpackers to India, who stay in Pahar Ganj's cheap hotels, a stone's throw from the New Delhi railway station at the heart of the capital. But the city authorities view this thronging, vibrant stretch of land as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the city. A new government vision document for the capital, the Delhi Master Plan, proposes that area be demolished and be replaced by high-rise apartment blocks. International Herald Tribune New York Times NB: Check out the different pictures used to accompany the stories. Both stories are written by the same reporter, working for sister newspapers. The copy is slightly different too.

Apr 14th, 2007, 21:53	#5
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,200	... but but but but isn't that special little shanty town the real India! ... guess there are at least a few others who beg to differ. __________________ We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions? Last edited by PeakXV : Apr 15th, 2007 at 01:13.

Apr 15th, 2007, 16:12	#15
tongoka Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Spain Posts: 41	paharganj Personally I would be very sad to see it destroyed, I have some great memories of the area. Forgive my ignorance, but what happens to all the businesses and homes that are there? Does the government give these people money or anything?

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Apr 14th, 2007, 19:22	#2
psfb Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 120	Damn - Delhi won't be as interesting without the main bazaar! Won't be as affordable for us either, and you can't beat it for convenient location to the railway station. Maybe we need to lobby the National Trust of India to get it preserved as an area of historical importance!

Apr 14th, 2007, 21:32	#3
kullukid Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: u.k. Posts: 983	NO! KK

Apr 14th, 2007, 21:42	#4
ananda2193 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: you essay Posts: 1,487	From my selfish point of view that would be a crying shame. I love the hustle and bustle there. It's the same everywhere. Kick poor people out of a neighborhood that has real estate value and put up expensive buildings. And where are all of those people going to go. I don't think they'll be able to afford those new apartments. I hope today is April fools day.

Apr 14th, 2007, 23:13	#6
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,054	just to reassure everybody, keep in mind that just because someone draws up a plan for a city, it doesn't mean it will actually happen. the copy in the Times article definitely uses shaky terms like "hopes", "dreams", "plans for the future", "will attempt to..." etc. things that mean almost nothing in the scope of physically changing the face of a city. for instance, here in New York, there has been talk for years of a subway along 2nd Avenue, which is actually a much needed change which won't permanently displace anyone or harm anything tangible. nobody is even debating whether it's a good idea or not. i'm talking 30-40 years of "planned" construction. guess what, even now there's still no concrete date set to break ground on that new subway line that the city has put into the Official Plan every couple of years since the 1960's. back around the same time, there were firm plans to bulldoze a lot of downtown Manhattan to create a cross-town expressway through the city. in the end, residents put up such a fuss that the plans were put on hold, and it never happened. now that area is one of the poshest in the city, without a single demolition or "urban renewal" overhaul. it's still a warren of picturesque winding narrow streets, with gourmet restaurants and designer shops snuggled in. this sort of thing can be stopped, and a lot of the time it just runs aground without any particular opposition. these sorts of projects need massive resources and public support to go forward. Paharganj, as a major tourist mecca and source of hotel revenue, could easily be spared. edited to add -- if you want to know why bougie tourists are so freaked out by the idea of India being dirty, dangerous, unsanitary, and generally hellish, and treat the whole thing as if they are astronauts heading into uncharted territory, check out the photos, captions, headline, and lede of the New York Times version of that article...

Apr 15th, 2007, 09:59	#10
grravi Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 9	Things happen slowly in India, a project like this will have a lot of pulls and pushes from various vested interests. But I believe that this should be done. Paharganj area is crowded, cramped, unsanitary and a fire hazard. It should be brought down and replaced with better planned construction. Hopefully the development plans will include budget hotels to take care of the tourists.

Apr 15th, 2007, 11:08	#11
jaat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: gurgaon Posts: 118	finally

Apr 15th, 2007, 13:50	#13
psfb Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 120	Yep - India is sounding more and more like Egypt everyday Do they have the Egyptian habit of only half completing building construction projects as well so that large areas look either half built or half demolished?

Apr 15th, 2007, 14:54	#14
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 26,905	The private ones go up very fast, probably aided by the frequency of flouting planning controls and the lack of official inspection. One day there's a beautiful old house, then suddenly its a block of flats

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