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The redevelopment plan for Jama Masjid has been in the works for almost 20 years. Recently, the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) invited new bids from companies to create a detailed project report (DPR) for the project. The mosque and its surrounding areas are currently facing issues such as disrepair, congestion, chaos, and poor sanitation. A PWD official, who preferred to remain anonymous, mentioned that the tender for appointing a new consultant for the redevelopment of Jama Masjid precinct was opened last month. However, creating a DPR is just one of the many activities required for the facelift, and it could be several years before actual work on the ground starts.
Jama Masjid is not a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the responsibility for its maintenance lies with the Delhi Waqf Board. Despite not being a protected monument repairs on Jama Masjid have been carried out by the ASI since 1956, as a special case. However, in recent years, the ASI has not undertaken any conservation work at the mosque. Last year, in May, the finial of the central dome of Jama Masjid was damaged due to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
During June 2021, a piece of red sandstone from one of the minarets collapsed and caused damage to the courtyard below it. Other problems affecting the structure include narrow access roads and the presence of residential areas and shops near the main entrance of Jama Masjid, close to gate number 1. The surrounding area has several markets and eateries, which poses sanitation concerns. Efforts to revamp the mosque, constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1656, began with the Delhi government's conceptualization of the Jama Masjid area redevelopment plan in 2004.
Architect Pradeep Sachdeva was responsible for creating a master plan for the area after conducting thorough surveys. His firm developed a plan that was discussed and revised based on input from various stakeholders. The goal of the redevelopment plan was to enhance the overall condition of the monument and the area surrounding it. In 2006, the plan was presented to the Delhi High Court and was approved by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) in 2009. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which was the nodal agency, was divided into three parts, and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation was assigned the responsibility of implementing the plan.
In 2012, the plan was transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) before eventually being passed on to the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC). However, the SRDC board realized that further modifications were necessary to expedite the execution of the redevelopment plan. In August 2019, it was decided that the detailed project report would be divided into two parts - one pertaining to the areas surrounding the mosque's precincts, including Meena Bazar, Urdu Bazar, and all roads leading to the mosque, and the other concerning the main monument precincts, which refer to the areas within the walled premises of the mosque.
Unfortunately, the project was delayed once again because the PWD failed to hire a consultant to review and replace the parts of Sachdeva's plan that the SRDC did not approve of. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an additional two-year period of inactivity, leaving the project in a state of limbo.
After a gap of five years, the PWD released a new tender in March this year to prepare a DPR, according to a PWD official. The scope of the project includes the redevelopment of the 12.7-hectare area, the creation of a DPR, an analysis of the activities on the mosque's extended upper plinth, and the redevelopment of the surrounding area.
The renovation project will not be limited to the mosque alone. Several mausoleums in the surrounding area, such as Dargah Sheikh Kalimullah, Hare Bhare Shah Mazaar, Ubhre Shah Mazaar, and the mausoleum of General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Indian National Army, will also be renovated. However, the most significant aspect of the project will be the refurbishment of Meena Bazaar.
In addition, the project will involve the construction of walkways, plazas, and pedestrian passages on all approach roads, the installation of a common utility duct for services, the underground development of drainage, trenches, and provisions for illuminating the precincts. It will also include the installation of firefighting facilities, the removal of overhead electric cables, and the surface development of roads and footpaths. Finally, the project will incorporate signage and horticulture street furniture and street art.
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