Old Delhi: visits fall

Old Delhi’s heritage core is still drawing official walks and tourism promotion, but the main Chandni Chowk stretch has again fallen into visible civic neglect. (srdc.delhi.gov.in) (delhitourism.gov.in) The Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation says Chandni Chowk’s redesign covered the road from Lal Quila, or Red Fort, to Fatehpuri Masjid and included architectural, sanitary and signage work. The Hindu reported that the 1.3-km redeveloped stretch was inaugurated in September 2021 with footpaths, toilets, water ATMs, ramps, decorative lights, benches and multilingual signage at a cost of about ₹100 crore. (srdc.delhi.gov.in) (thehindu.com) By April and May 2025, local reporting described the same corridor as crowded and unkempt, with garbage on the red sandstone road, betel stains on pavements, encroached footpaths and vehicles entering a pedestrian zone. Traders told The New Indian Express that safety concerns and disorder were cutting footfall on the revamped stretch. (thehindu.com) (newindianexpress.com) The problem is not a lack of tourist value on paper. The corporation still markets Old Delhi heritage walks covering Chandni Chowk, Dariba, Dharampura and Jama Masjid, including a 2-km route that it says runs on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. (srdc.delhi.gov.in) The problem is upkeep after the makeover. The Times of India reported on January 31, 2026, that the specialised agency hired for cleaning and maintenance had stopped work because of an alleged lack of funds, and the 1.3-km stretch had slipped back into civic neglect within a month of a cleanup drive. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Delhi authorities have acknowledged the deterioration. ETInfra reported on November 8, 2025, that the Public Works Department approved a two-year maintenance plan worth nearly ₹3.8 crore for the Chandni Chowk stretch after repeated demands from residents and shopkeepers. (infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com) That plan itself listed the failures traders had been flagging: poor sanitation, damaged infrastructure, encroachments, unregulated cycle rickshaws and toilets in bad shape. Sanjay Bhargava of the Chandni Chowk Vyapar Mandal told ETInfra that “there is so much mess in the area,” while questioning how encroachments would actually be removed. (infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Management has also been in flux. The New Indian Express reported in May 2025 that Phase 2 of the redevelopment remained stalled and that the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation was operating without a chairman after the transfer of a key nodal officer. (newindianexpress.com) Political control shifted too. The Hindu reported in April 2025 that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were considering disbanding the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation and replacing it with a new Indraprastha Redevelopment Board, while traders argued for a single authority to handle sanitation, tourism and heritage management. (thehindu.com) (hindustantimes.com) So the current picture in Old Delhi is a mismatch: the route remains one of Delhi’s best-known heritage draws, but the main public-facing stretch has been repeatedly described by officials, traders and local reporting as under-maintained. Until the maintenance money, enforcement and management structure hold, the area’s appeal depends more on its history than on the condition visitors actually find on the ground. (delhitourism.gov.in) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)