Revamp of Asia’s biggest textile market on the cards  

With plans afoot to develop Gandhi Nagar market, traders are apprehensive about the change

For the 15,000 shop owners based in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar textile market, the daily work comes with its set of challenges. Narrow and congested lanes, lack of civic amenities, footpaths and proper roads have hindered smooth functioning of business in the area for years.

Rahul Kumar, a garment shop owner, lamented about the long traffic snarls and the difficulty of moving within the market. He also pointed out at the long lines of tangled electric wires and open drains filled with garbage, which add to the woes of the people.

In its budget for the financial year 2022-23, the Delhi government announced its plans to redevelop this area, which it called “Asia’s largest readymade garment market”. The traders are, however, unsure about the execution of the ambitious plan. The ground realities are different, they say.

As per the Delhi government’s plans, the “Grand Garment Hub” that it proposes to develop would help create more than “40,000 new employment opportunities”.

Listing out the issues faced by the traders, Mr. Kumar said, “The packers and loaders occupy the roads to carry out their tasks and in the process choke the space meant for vehicles and pedestrians. There have also been countless accidents involving e-rickshaw drivers. The civic body workers do not perform their duties. Also, irrespective of electricity usage, we have to pay over ₹600 per month.”

He added that these problems needed to be addressed first to bring about any change.