The business hub of Guwahati, Fancy Bazar, will be redesigned gradually. A detailed draft master plan for the purpose is already prepared and the planning for redesigning work on two streets – SS Road and GNB Road -- has already started.
A source in Dispur talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, “The whole idea is to decongest Fancy Bazar and make the area free, modern and a developed place,” adding that the redesigning of Fancy Bazar is a lengthy process and will happen gradually. Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has formulated a “draft master plan” under “local area plan” for areas between Paltan Bazar and Bharalumukh and from Bharalumukh to Guwahati Club.
Local Area Plan (LAP) is the sub-scheme under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The goal of this scheme is to support the preparation of Local Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning Scheme (TPS) on a pilot basis in 25 states/ cities and build local capacity for undertaking such tasks. States should be able to replicate this exercise on their own in several of their towns and cities to meet the challenges of planned urban development.
Accordingly, Guwahati was selected for the task and the source explained that usually the most congested areas in a city or a town are selected because it is the central business area.
“Keeping Fancy Bazar as the main area, Bharalu point till Guwahati Club and Bharalu point to Paltan Bazar are the areas choked with traffic. The buildings are too close to each other. There is so much congestion, and it requires redevelopment,” said the official adding that accordingly the area was selected for LAP.
300 hectares, which is around 2700 bighas, have been surveyed, said the official adding that the entire area is the city's business hub. The official mentioned that the area has become highly congested due to haphazard construction in the past. Since it is a central business district, development projects, particularly LAP projects, are typically undertaken in densely populated areas. Talking about the plan, the official said a survey was conducted and the draft master plan was accordingly drawn up.
The drone survey of the area is done and all the details regarding ownership and vendor locations, parking and other minute details have been collected, said the source. As the construction work for the Bharalu – North Guwahati bridge is ongoing and initial work on Ring Road is also in progress within the Guwahati city, the authorities have decided to shift the Fancy Bazar wholesale market to North Guwahati to decongest the area.
A logistic park at North Guwahati where the wholesalers from Fancy Bazar can be accommodated with all the required amenities will be constructed, said the source, adding that a detailed project report is being prepared for the purpose.
The source further said that Assam Urban Knowledge Hub (AUKH) under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, led by the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, is redesigning two streets of Fancy Bazar at present – SS Road and GNB Road.
A source in the Directorate of Town and Country Planning told GPlus, “If SS Road and GNB Road can be redesigned and developed, the formula will be applied to entire Fancy Bazar,” adding that the LAP master plan from Paltan Bazar to Bharalumukh and from Bharalumukh to Guwahati Club have many open spaces which are accordingly getting developed.
The plan includes details on land use zoning and density, public open space, private open space, car parking, provision of infrastructure, conservation of built heritage, conservation of the natural environment, provision of traveller accommodation, community facilities and design and development standards. The master plan looks at wider roads, and arcades on the buildings, the source said. In architecture, an arcade is a set of contiguous arches that are all supported by columns or piers. Arcades on the outside of a building normally create a walkway, while an arcade on the inside can be found on the lowest part of the walls.
According to the draft master plan a plot owner is approached to leave a portion of the land -- whatever ratio it may be - 10 feet or 5 feet -- and instead of offering cash, the property owner will be given Transferable Development Rights (TDR), which will be a certificate with the help of which the property owner could build one more floor on top of the building, or in a property which is located somewhere else, or even the property owner can sell the TDR to a builder for whatever price he/she wants.
The source said that the GMDA is working on it and assured that no one will be evicted for the success of the project.
In SS Road and GNB Road the AUKH is making a plan, which will be discussed with all stakeholders – APDCL, GMC, GMDA, PWD, local residents -- so that the roads can be redesigned with pedestrian-friendly footpaths, underground wires, wider roads, green spaces, storm water drainage system, garbage-free roads, consolidated vending zone and to make the roads “signature locations” of the city, said the source.
The source further said, “If these two roads are successfully redesigned, the experiment will be carried out across Fancy Bazar to make the entire area “signature locations” of the city.”
Asked given that there are so many old buildings and how will the building get permission to construct one more floor on top leaving some land for the redesigning of the area, the source said that no one will be forced or evicted. “Every building has a lifecycle, after 10 to 15 years some building will have to be reconstructed and then the LAP will work, “ said the source adding therefore redesigning of Fancy Bazar fully will take 10 to 15 years. But the source stressed, “Fancy Bazar will be redesigned and redeveloped.”
The source said that all government areas in and around Fancy Bazar are being redeveloped like Old Jail premise, Jor Pukhuri, Dighalipukhuri, all government offices, Brahmaputra riverfront, except the private buildings which with time will be redesigned and redeveloped.
“From next month the city mayor and local councillors will visit all households in the area for their support for the project,” said the source adding that the project will not be successful without the support of the residents.
From SS Road to GNB Road a loop will be created and if it is successful, the entire area under LAP will be redesigned.
Many problems of Fancy Bazar like garbage collection, poor drainage system, inadequate parking facilities and many more issues were never resolved. We can only hope the area is redeveloped without the people losing anything.