The Chirag Dilli stretch was beautified as a pilot project under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's ambitious streetscaping project. (Express photo The public works department in New Delhi has partially closed the fountains on the recently redeveloped stretch along the Old BRT corridor from Chirag Dilli FOB to Sheikh Sarai corridor after having had to deal with issues created by tipplers on a daily basis, officials said.
According to a senior PWD official working on the streetscaping project, tipplers and drug addicts create trouble on the stretch every night and, moreover, make women pedestrians uncomfortable which prevents them from visiting the area during night hours.
“There was no problem and things were going smooth in the initial days after reopening the stretch. But gradually, anti-social elements have increased on this stretch, creating problems for the PWD security guards and the public,” the official added.
“Earlier, the tipplers used to come during the night hours and take selfies, sing songs and dance along the stretch. This was okay, but then they wanted to take a shower in the fountains or wash their faces in it, and they even misbehaved with the security guard who tried to stop them. (The presence of) such anti-social elements also stopped women and children from visiting the stretch at nights to take a walk, sit back or relax,” said the official.
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The department had completely closed the stretch for some time, but now after requests from the public it is partially opened from 8 am to 10 am and from 8 pm to 10 pm.
“The police should take action and keep patrolling this stretch. We have raised such complaints earlier regarding other stretches also, but they never take action. Sometimes the security guards fear to call them because, despite taking action against the troublemakers, the police often question the guards a lot,” the official pointed out.
The Chirag Dilli stretch was beautified as a pilot project under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s ambitious streetscaping project. The stretch was revamped on the ‘Deshbhakti’ theme with walkways, cycle tracks, portraits of Bhagat Singh, Rani Lakshmibai, a water fountain with tiranga lights, designer illumination, benches and plants.
However, it is not the only stretch that has to deal with troublemakers, another such stretch at Nehru Nagar near PGDAV College also saw drug addicts and thieves who stole designer lights and iron fittings. There were even complaints of some affluent people, who travel in luxury cars, plundering the expensive decorative plants along the stretch. About 300-350 plants, worth Rs 1.5 lakh, and metals, lights, handrails, aluminium wires, among others, worth Rs 5 lakh, were stolen from the Nehru Nagar stretch last year, officials said.
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