The Times of India 27.02.2013
KG Marg parking gets nod but cut to size
NEW DELHI: The multilevel Kasturba Gandhi Marg parking project was officially cleared by National Monuments Authority (NMA) in a meeting on Tuesday. While the clearance provides much needed relief to New Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC) and concessionaire DS Constructions, it comes with conditions
relating to the height of the proposed structures. The parking lot will
be 40m high as proposed, but NMA wants the height of the commercial
building to be 21m instead of 40m.
NMA officials said they
viewed the project keeping its main objective of parking in mind, which
would help reduce pollution. "The parking lot will indirectly help in
preservation of the baoli. Two buildings — one for parking and the other
for commercial purposes — have been proposed. We have allowed the
parking block to have a height of 40m as proposed. It has been advised
that the height of the commercial building be reduced to 21m,'' said a
top NMA official.
NMA officials reasoned that 21m height is
what they have allowed for institutional buildings so far, so the same
would be applied in this case. NDMC has also been asked to take measures
for rainwater harvesting and work on improving the surroundings around
the parking site.
NDMC and DS Constructions have been waiting
for an NOC for three years and it has led to a massivedelay. The
heritage bylaws for Agrasen ki Baoli prepared by Intach Delhi Chapter
also affirm that the multilevel parking will not have an adverse affect
on the baoli. NMA officials, however, said they had some
environmentalists had been concerned about the water level of the baoli.
"But the project has been considered from all angles and there is no
threat to the baoli in ,'' said the official.
NDMC officials
said they are yet to get the official order on the parking site. "We are
happy that the project has been given the go-ahead. It has been pending
for a very long time. As for the conditions, we don't have any
information,'' said an NDMC official.
