Foundation laid for first transit-oriented project

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the country's first transit-oriented development (TOD) project here under which a state-of-the-art infrastructure zone, including the national capital's tallest tower, will be built in east Delhi.

The project -- 'East Delhi Hub' at Karkardooma -- spread over 30 ha, will come up in next three-and-a-half years, officials said.

The hub will be developed around the existing two Delhi Metro stations at Karkardooma-- on the Blue and Pink Lines, and will include a massive open landscaped green area, besides a 48-storey signature tower that will come up in the first phase of the project.

"The vision of development that Modiji has for Delhi is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and this project will be the country's first TOD project. Delhi will prosper after this," Shah said in his address.

The land is owned by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which has chosen National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) for implementing the project's first phase.

"The project will have mixed-land use, 70 per cent residential, 20 per cent commercial and 10 per cent for civic amenities, besides housing facilities for people belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS). The area will be developed around two existing metro stations," the Union minister said.

According to the information shared by the NBCC, 4,526 residential units would be built, and 1,108 in the first phase, besides 2,088 units for EWS (522 in phase-I).

Aiming to promote the use of public transport over private vehicles, the DDA had in December 2014 approved the East Delhi Hub project.

Although the project is taking off after much delay, Shah asserted that it will be inaugurated in the tenure of the current government at the Centre.

Officials at Delhi-based architecture firm C P Kukreja Architects which designed the hub said, the whole area has an organic growth design and will give the appearance of rising "lotus stems", once completed.

"One of the most unique parts of this TOD project is that it will have a central massive green lung of about 10 acres, inside it. While south Delhi has a number of huge gardens and lawns, east Delhi does not have such a huge recreational space, so we incorporated it," firm's architect Dikshu C Kukreja told PTI.

He said the hub has been designed with complete sustainability model and will have vertical gardens and water-harvesting facilities.

"There will be a huge plaza near the metro stations and skywalks to take people directly to destinations without stepping onto streets," Kukreja said.

"The 48-storey signature tower (161 m) will become Delhi's tallest tower, eclipsing the Civic Centre in central Delhi," he added.

There will be schools, dispensaries, gymnasia, cultural centres and library inside the hub, officials said.