New Delhi: Nearly two years after revamping the Nehru Place District Centre, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has initiated the process of hiring a dedicated agency for its cleaning and maintenance. The agency will deploy around 40 sanitation workers and provide routine upkeep services. The scope of work includes cleaning of the plaza, its internal and external roads, footpaths, surface parking and horticulture zones.Regular removal of building malba (construction and demolition waste) and other unserviceable or dismantled materials lying unattended will be part of the contract. The agency will be responsible for transporting the waste to an approved municipal dumping ground.A separate proposal to outsource the cleaning of public washrooms at the commercial hub is under consideration, officials of the Authority said. “The district centre earlier used to be maintained by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). We took over the site for its complete upgradation. According to the terms, the contractor was responsible for maintaining it for two years. The tenure is getting over this month, so we are appointing a fresh agency that will deploy cleaning staff from 8 am to 4 pm every day,” one of the officials said.The Authority has resumed correspondence with the corporation for handing back the commercial complex to it. Till then, the agency that will be appointed will continue to look after the maintenance, which many traders alleged remains poor, with garbage frequently dumped in corners and paan stains visible across the complex. They also pointed to damage to some recently installed stonework. “It’s a huge complex, revamped after spending crores. Its granite and tiles will last only if deep cleaning with mechanical machines is done. Many shops selling greasy food items dump waste. Its sewerage design is faulty and drains often get choked and their covers are damaged by vehicles,” said Inder Kohli, a trader. “We are aware of the concerns. The maintenance agency is doing its job. Before transferring the complex to the corporation, we will fix the deficiencies,” the official said, adding that the challenge arises due to the fact that the commercial centre attracts heavy footfall.The Authority will continue operating a multi-level parking lot, which is under construction. “We are giving the final touches to the parking facility and waiting for the fire no-objection certificate (NOC) and BSES to complete some work. The target is to open it to the public by this month-end,” the official said. The Authority began the overall upgradation work at Nehru Place in Dec 2019 after receiving an NOC from the erstwhile South Corporation. The project included improving its facade, revamping the drainage and sewerage, upgrading it with new tiles and seating arrangements, overhauling staircases and constructing 10 new toilet blocks. The plan also included building a skywalk connecting the Metro station concourse to the Central Plaza near Satyam Cinema, which took shape a little later.
