Megha Manchanda | New Delhi
In February, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled an ambitious underground wiring plan for the capital’s oldest and busiest marketplace, Chandni Chowk. The plan aims to remove more than 50 kilometres of hazardous overhead cables in the densely populated area, with an investment of around Rs 160 crore.
At the inauguration, the Chief Minister said Chandni Chowk has been a vibrant hub of trade and culture for centuries, but the overhead electricity wires pose a challenge to its beauty and safety. She added that the project reflects the government’s commitment to making Delhi’s heritage areas secure, organised, and visually appealing.
On paper, the modernisation plan appears promising, as it seeks to improve the aesthetics of one of the city’s oldest markets. However, when I toured the market—starting my walk from Fountain Chowk, a landmark synonymous with the place, and moving towards the MCD Town Hall—I encountered numerous overhead cables covering shop facades in a rather haphazard manner.
The situation was similar as I navigated the narrow lanes from Dariba Kalan to Paranthewali Gali and Kinari Bazaar. Cables hung clumsily above the many shops that together give Chandni Chowk its distinctive character.
While the Delhi Government has formally inaugurated the ambitious project, most shopkeepers appeared unaware of any work actually being undertaken.
“We also read in the newspaper that the Chief Minister has inaugurated this project, but there are no excavators on site to dig up the ground where the overhead cables would be relocated,” a shopkeeper in the bustling Kinari Bazaar said.
Indeed, one does not encounter excavators or other equipment typically required for such work. For now, it feels like business as usual in the crowded marketplace.
News reports may have highlighted the inauguration, but the reality on the ground appears different.
It was only near Dariba Kalan—one of the city’s oldest silver jewellery markets—that I came across a shopkeeper who mentioned some preliminary activity related to the underground cabling project. “The other day we saw linemen from BSES Yamuna noting down details of the electricity poles in the market,” he told Enersider on condition of anonymity. He added that the idea of underground wiring in Chandni Chowk is not new; in fact, it dates back more than two decades. According to him, the proposal was first discussed in the early 2000s, when the Delhi Government initiated the privatisation of the city’s power distribution companies. At the time, his grandfather worked with the Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking (DESU), which then managed power distribution in the city. “Even back then this proposal had come up, but it couldn’t see the light of day,” he said.
The current project aims to create a safer power network in the area while also improving the market’s overall appearance. The work is expected to be carried out during night hours when most shops are closed. Authorities plan to execute the project in phases to minimise disruption to daily life and traffic movement. Around 10,000 consumers are expected to directly benefit from the initiative, which is intended to reduce fire hazards and weather-related power disruptions, enhance safety, improve supply reliability, and significantly beautify the historic precinct.
The project is a joint initiative between the Delhi Government and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL). It will involve relocating overhead lines underground, installing around 500 new feeder pillars, and setting up decorative streetlighting poles. Officials have also indicated that ‘digital twin’ technology will be used for real-time monitoring and maintenance of the network.
