Special sanitation drive in Chandni Chowk, Red Fort area ahead of UNESCO session

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) An extensive revamp of Chandni Chowk area has begun ahead of the UNESCO cultural heritage conference from December 8, with Delhi government agencies ensuring proper cleanliness and beautification of the walled city market.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has instructed for the drive to clean, beautify, and enhance the historic Chandni Chowk market and the Red Fort area, according to a statement from the Delhi CMO.

The conference will be held from December 8 to 13.

The chief minister has directed special sanitation, repainting, and beautification works not only in Chandni Chowk but also along Netaji Subhash Marg and neighbouring localities so that Delhi’s world-renowned heritage presents an even more attractive, clean, and organised appearance in the coming days, it said.

Work on the ground is progressing at a rapid pace with deployment of large number of sanitation workers across Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort areas for cleaning of streets, lanes, and marketplace. Special staff have been assigned to monitor public toilets so that sanitation standards remain uncompromised.

The engineering department is swiftly repairing toilets and urinals. As part of this effort, one facility has been converted into a dedicated ‘Pink Toilet’, enhancing amenities for women, the statement said.

Strict action is also being taken against illegal encroachments. A continuous drive is under way to remove encroachments and ensure ease of movement for pedestrians in the market and surrounding areas.

Unauthorised cycle-rickshaws operating in Chandni Chowk are being removed to maintain smooth traffic flow. Delhi government agencies DUSIB and SRDC are also acting against unlawful street-vending in the Chandni Chowk area to maintain order and ensure a safe environment for visiting delegates, it said.

A two-shift waste-collection system has been implemented in Chandni Chowk, ensuring round-the-clock cleanliness. Sprinklers are being used regularly outside the main road of the Red Fort to control dust, keeping the environment clean and enhancing the area’s visual appeal.

Delhi is hosting the 20th session of the United Nations Educational Scietific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage at the Red Fort on December 8-13.

More than one thousand delegates from over 180 countries are expected to participate in the event. The government wishes that when the visiting dignitaries step beyond the Red Fort and into the historic lanes of Chandni Chowk, The CM recently held a high level meeting with senor officials of Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), PWD, MCD in which preparations for the event were discussed, added the statement. PTI VIT NB