NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) plans to expand activities at Baansera Park near Sarai Kale Khan by adding a tent city, organic haat, food court, and adventure zone.
The authority initiated the process for the engagement of Dept of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Finance) empanelled transaction advisor for conducting feasibility studies and assisting in selecting a developer who will manage Baansera through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The selected entity will handle operations and maintenance.
Given the park’s location in the Yamuna Flood Plain area, the authority in the RFP issued recently, emphasised that all NGT guidelines and current Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) requirements must be adhered to during feasibility studies and contractor bidding processes.
Proposed additions include a recreational club, diverse cuisine food court, information kiosk, adventure sports facilities, organic haat, and small tent accommodation to boost tourism.
The authority intends to strengthen the bamboo theme by incorporating children’s play equipment, Delhi monument replicas, observation towers, and various amenities, all constructed from bamboo. DDA aims to establish Baansera as a preferred weekend destination for locals and tourists alike.
“Baansera, located along the Yamuna floodplains, is integrated within the Kalindi Aviral Biodiversity Park. With an area of 40 hectares, the park represents a pioneering endeavour in urban development. With such vast open space available, we want to add more popular activities to make it interactive for all age groups,” stated the authority.
The hired agency will also be asked to suggest other activities and amenities going with the bamboo theme of Baansera. Current features at this place include water bodies, mounds, pathways, forest trails, bamboo structures, children’s areas, an elephant family sculpture, musical fountain, flower beds, and a 25,000 sqm plateau for events.
“This is a transformative initiative aimed at creating a vibrant, nature-friendly public space that fosters community engagement and well-being along with enhancing the ecological character of the floodplains. The project is Delhi’s first multi-use public space under green bamboo cover, which has bamboo plantation in the form of groves, bambusetum, and public amenities in bamboo,” according to the authority.
Before initiating the process for identifying the concessionaire for developing the site on PPP mode, the technical advisor will conduct a feasibility study to understand the site topography through a reconnaissance survey and enlist the site encumbrances, existence of natural features, water bodies, etc.
“Understanding the overall capacities, location, nature of ownership of every land parcel or any asset developed on the site, identifying strengths and challenges for the proposed project, if any, would be done first. Review of existing govt laws, bye-laws, development control regulation, etc., for the development or any other statutory or regulatory guidelines or compliances for the site would be considered as well,” stated the authority.
The DDA is undertaking the restoration of the Yamuna floodplain’s 22-kilometre urban stretch from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage. This initiative, spanning over 1700 hectares across both banks, comprises eleven projects. The authority developed Baansera as a bamboo-themed park within Kalindi Aviral at Sarai Kale Khan, situated between NH-24 and Barapullah drain.