Nehru Place: A sorry state of affairs

NEW DELHI: Nehru Place IT market is one of the biggest commercial hubs of India and is the largest market for IT products in Asia.

Out of the 15 district centers in Delhi, Nehru Place is the biggest, with nearly 1,200 channel partners operating from there and facilitating business worth Rs 6 crore everyday. Though more than 1.75 lakh people visit Nehru Place daily, unfortunately the place lacks basic amenities.

The irony is that the poor emergency exit system and blockage at corridors could lead to uncertainty in case of a disaster.

Nehru Place was surveyed for safety measures after the Uphaar Cinema disaster at Green Park, but fire alarms are still missing or are broken in most of the buildings, and almost all emergency exits and corridors are blocked. Unfortunately, the blockage at corridors and encroachment leads to blocks being unconnected from one another.

With the onset of summer, there is water scarcity at Nehru Place. Channel partners and dealers are not happy with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). They used to spend somewhere between Rs 15,000 to 20,000 every month on water. Although, there are two reservoirs but more are needed to facilitate commercial complexes. And the worst part is that there is no place for firefighters to come inside. In addition, there is a sanitation problem in the area, and DDA is identifying two to three places for constructing toilets, though few are located outside.

On the face of upcoming Commonwealth Games, Nehru Place is severely neglected. "70 to 80 percent of the business is done by the PCAIT members with nearly 125 channel partners, who control around 80 percent of the Delhi's business," said Rishi Kumar Malhotra, President, PCAIT and CEO, Velocis Systems. "We would like to showcase IT products in honor of the Commonwealth Games but it will only be possible with the help of all the members. We want a multi-functional development of the Nehru Place IT market, which is feasible only if all members participate," he said. According to Malhotra, infrastructure, encroachment and security are the major concerns, and PCAIT is looking for development on a long-term basis.

Speaking on the development of the IT hub, PK Nanda, Chief Engineer of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said that the up-gradation at Nehru Place will be done in a phased manner. "We want cooperation from all the dealers. The tenders have already been awarded. Footpaths are in a pathetic condition, and work will have to be completed, soon. Cleaning of sewer-lines and lanes too will be taken up shortly," added Nanda.