Old City traders wake up to a garbage crisis

The main bazar street was littered with garbage as heaps of waste spilled out of dustbins, and four dirty public convenience facilities were raising a stink, as the revamped Chandni Chowk stretch between the Red Fort and the Fatehpuri Mosque on Monday looked like a dirty thoroughfare urgently in need of civic attention.

Portrayed as the showpiece of the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, the area was bearing the brunt of a tussle over dues between the state Public Works Department (PWD) and a local contractor, according to people aware of the matter.

Sanitation work of the revamped stretch is managed by a private firm hired by PWD.

In a letter dated October 13, the contractor wrote to PWD saying that there is an outstanding payment of ₹5.5 crore. and it shall suspend services from October 16 till further direction.

The letter added that clear-cut directions should be issued for closure or extension of its contract.