New Delhi: The multilevel car parking facility at M Block Market in Greater Kailash I, under construction now for three years, is unlikely to become operational anytime soon. The parking facility, which has cost the Municipal Corporation of Delhi s 63.7 crore, is located on a 2,240 square metre plot and will consist of a ground floor and eight floors above it with space for 399 cars.
While 80% of the work was completed last month, MCD requires permission to fell or transplant some trees for the remaining construction to finish. “Around a year ago, MCD applied to the deputy conservator of forests to transplant 18 trees,” an official said. “However, recently we learnt that now we need to approach Delhi High Court for permission. Only after this can the pending works be taken up. The tentative date for commissioning of the parking is June 30.”

A forest official also confirmed last month that Delhi High Court had stayed tree felling in the matter of Bhavreen Kandhari vs CD Singh. So MCD will need to approach the court if it wants to chop down trees. MCV officials said that they were yet to take a decision on going to court.
Given the heavy footfall at the market, and, therefore, the need for the parking lot, construction of the facility began in March 2022 and was to have been finished within18 months. A municipal officer had said that according to the project terms, the concessionaire constructing the facility will operate and maintain the automated shuttle parking at the market for 10 years, transferring 70% of the money collected as parking fees to MCD.
Locals, already fed up with the long delay, want MCD to accelerate work and at least open the site where there is no requirement for tree cutting. “The civil work has been completed at the site and painting is in progress. The municipal body can open the facility partially so that hundreds of cars parked haphazardly on roads can get parking space,” said Rajendra Sharda, chairman, GK I M Block Market Association.
A shop owner said, “With a portion of the surface parking taken over for the multilevel parking lot, it is quite common to see many vehicles parked on roadsides, leading to inconvenience for others. On weekends, shoppers’ vehicles are even parked in service lanes or on the adjacent main road, causing major traffic congestion.”