Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) The recent monsoon showers have added to the slush on the dug-up portions of Delhi’s central commercial hub Connaught Place, and a civic official Friday foretold more woes for the traders saying the renovation work would take another year to complete.

An area businessmen said the rains have added to the sharp drop in sales ever since the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in 2009 dug up roads for redevelopment of the circular hub.

“We are waiting for the work to get over. The shops with a fixed clientele are still seeing some business but the new ones are facing a tough time,” said Atul Bhargava, president of the New Delhi Traders’ Association (NDTA).

“The project has hit our sales,” Bhargava said, adding that the rains have compounded their problems.

“The construction project in Connaught Place is supposed to get over by March 2012. At the most, it would be delayed by three months,” said Anand Tiwari, spokesperson of the NDMC.

“We know that the traders are facing problems and we apologise for it. But this is a part of the development process for the area,” Tiwari said.

“We assure them that before next year’s monsoon, Connaught Place will be back in shape,” Tiwari told IANS.

“We now only need to work on the subways and an underground tunnel in the Middle Circle,” Tiwari said.

The civic agency started the work in 2009 in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games held Oct 3-14, 2010.

A few weeks before the Games, the dug-up areas were filled with earth as a temporary measure. Fresh roads were constructed on some stretches and others were beautified using plants.

The project included construction of eight new subways in the Outer Circle of Connaught Place, a service corridor in the Middle Circle, facade restoration and other improvements of the buildings.

A total of Rs.450 crore ($100 million) were sanctioned for the project.