DWARKA- TRANSFORMATION INTO A MEGACITY

Dwarka, a bustling sub city of the Capital, has come to be recognised as a megacity, in its own right. The growth of Dwarka is at an extravagant, mind-boggling pace, with its infrastructure and associated sectors, viz, education, commerce and education apart from its bustling population is at the heart of its development. These are the things that make up the ‘Dwarka Dream’ where extravagance is the standard and affluence is now visible to any visitor. It is an aspirational destination now with technology, development and modernity being the cornerstones of its achievements. Its architecture plays a critical role in turning the city into a platform for a rapidly-growing range of globalized activities and flows, from economic to cultural and political. As the Indian economy expands it is largely in places like Dwarka that the work and pace of development becomes evident. To achieve this status, Dwarka can now boast of state-of-the-art office districts, infrastructures and all the requirements of luxury living. Equally, there has been adequate emphasis on the quality of life of its residents and also on the ecological sustainability of its rapid development. Theme parks, biodiversity areas are in equal measure as are entertainment zones and commercial complexes. In its pursuit of remaining continuously successful, Dwarka is a city constantly reinventing itself with each new project. Innovation will be key in responding to the challenges of a burgeoning megacity and planners are certain that Dwarka will live up to this as well. Dwarka’s image is now crafted through a continuous array of headlines, which it grabs mostly through its construction projects. Listed in the following paragraphs are the key factors and features that have made this growth of Dwarka possible.

METRO BOOST- The opening of DMRC’s first corridor between Dwarka and Barakhamba Road on December 31, 2005, suddenly gave a boost to real estate in Dwarka. Metro’s Blue Line was the last major infrastructure project in the neighbourhood. Even though housing demand picked up, commercial spaces in the area could never be developed if the metro had not connected Dwarka to other parts. The Metro corridor today connects Dwarka Sector-25 with Noida City Centre and Vaishali in Ghaziabad. The Express Metro line connects Dwarka to New Delhi Railway station.

BHARAT VANDANA PARK - The construction work of the Bharat Vandana Park project, the Delhi Development  Authority (DDA)’s flagship project in Dwarka, which started in December 2019, is 60% complete. Spread over 220 acres, the park is being developed as one of the main tourist destinations in the national Capital. It will be a one-of-its-kind park with an eco-forest zone, several lakes, cultural and adventure sports facilities and a ‘Mini India’ park that will have replicas of important monuments from different states, such as the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kedarnath temple, Hampi stone chariot, etc. According to the plan, the park will have 10 zones: congregational zone, cultural zone, pushpa kriti sarovar zone, eco-sensitive zone, meditation garden zone, fun park zone, adventure park zone, lake view restaurant zone, mini India zone and the vandana sarovar zone. Each zone will be spread over 10-12 acres.

ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS- Till 2019, Dwarkaites’ only rue was there were no chill factors here ...no mall, no cinema house. But now it’s raining malls in Dwarka. The sub city has got two malls with theatres - the Vegas mall in Sector-14 and Pacific Mall, Sector-21. Movie exhibition chain PVR Cinemas has launched a 12-screen superplex at Vegas Mall. With 1,850 seats, it is the chain’s biggest property in the capital region, while the screen count remains second to the Logix theatre in Noida. PVR has spent an estimated Rs. 70 crore on the property. The superplex includes one IMAX screen, one 4 DX screen, two premium LUXE auditoriums, seven mainstream and one auditorium dedicated to children- PVR Playhouse. The kids' zone at Vegas Mall is filled with the trendiest collection of games along with Delhi's most exquisite bowling alley too. One can also spend countless time in the video gaming arcade with your playmates. Top national and international brands have made a place here like, H&M, Lifestyle, Zara, Pantaloons, Max, Raymond, Reebok, Puma, Pepe Jeans and a lot more. The 650 capacity food court in this mall of Dwarka is present on the top floor with 18 brands. The delicacies are definitely mouth- watering and unavoidable. Pacific Mall, Sector-21 is not only the first organised retail mall of the sub-city but also first of its kind development within Metro Station with Hypermarket, Lifestyle, Fashion. Brands like Lifestyle, Max, Big Bazaar, Jack n Jones, ONLY, Biba, Aurelia, Nyka on Trend, Kama Ayurveda, Woodland showrooms here. One will be enthralled to take a walk inside the beautiful interiors of this mall which provides a multi-level car parking facility as well. This mall in Dwarka serves the best of Indian, Continental and Chinese food along with a huge food court with a 500 seating capacity. The mall also has a multiplex.

DWARKA EXPRESSWAY - To ease traffic movement on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, the 27.6-km Dwarka Expressway is an alternate route to connect Delhi and Gurgaon. Dwarka Expressway is an eight-lane, access-controlled expressway, connecting Mahipalpur in Delhi to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Gurgaon. The project was conceptualised as the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) in 2006 and transferred to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in 2016. Dwarka Expressway is now open to the public. Dwarka Expressway is now another lifeline for the commuters to travel from Dwarka to Gurgaon and Manesar, since NH8 is the only road which connects Dwarka with Gurgaon. This road also carries loads of Delhi from other parts of Delhi. An 18.9-km section of the expressway is in Gurgaon, while a 10.1-km section is in Delhi. The expressway starts from NH 48 (old NH 8) at Shiv Murti in Mahipalpur in Delhi and ends at NH 48 near Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Gurgaon, Haryana. The expressway comprises over 20 flyovers and bridges, two rail over bridges and underpasses, 11 vehicle underpasses, 20 underground pedestrian crossings, and a 2.5-metre cycle or bike path. The project was developed at Rs. 8,662 crore based on the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model.

PROJECTS COMING UP- Many new plans have been announced by the DDA and for Dwarkaites there is a lot of excitement in store. With the high court giving green signal to the development of phase-2, Dwarka's horizon is slated for further expansion with landmarks that will redefine the status of Dwarka. Bijwasan to be Railway Station- A suburban station in Bijwasan, near Dwarka and the Gurgaon border, will be turned into a world-class station, on the lines of the redeveloped New Delhi station. Northern Railways acquired 111.7-hectare land in Bijwasan, adjacent to the existing station, for Rs 214 crore. At a cost of Rs 225.9 crore, the work of the first phase of upgrade has begun. Bijwasan will handle trains to and from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and other parts of northwestern India. At present, it handles a few suburban trains. The station will make railway journey more comfortable for Dwarkaites.

YASHOBHUMI (IICC CENTRE)- Prime Minister, Narendra Modi marked a historic moment as he unveiled Phase 1 of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), aptly named ‘Yashobhoomi’, which was built at the cost of Rs. 5,400 cr. at Dwarka, sector-25. 'Yashobhoomi' boasts of a magnificent convention centre, multiple exhibition halls and other facilities and finds its place among the world's largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities. The total project area of the IICC facility is over 8.9 lakh square metres, whereas the built-up area is of more than 1.8 lakh square metres. The convention centre, built across more than 73,000 square metres, comprises 15 convention rooms, including the main auditorium, the grand ballroom and 13 meeting rooms. These facilities collectively offer a remarkable capacity, capable of accommodating up to 11,000 delegates. Yashobhoomi sets a technological benchmark with the largest LED media facade in the country, enhancing visual experiences and communication. The plenary hall in the convention centre has the seating capacity of around 6,000 guests. The auditorium has an innovative automated seating system which converts the flat floor into an auditorium style tiered seating for different seating configurations. The Grand Ballroom can host around 2,500 guests. It also has an extended open area with seating capacity of up to 500 people. The 13 meeting rooms that are spread across eight floors are envisaged to hold a variety of meetings of different scales.

INTEGRATED FREIGHT COMPLEX (IFC):- For the integration of goods movements by rail and road a freight complex has been proposed for Dwarka. DDA officials informed that the complex would consist of a wholesale market, warehousing, road and rail transport integrated terminals to curtail the movement of heavy vehicles. Diplomatic Enclave- Sector 27, 28 and 29 of phase -2 will house the diplomatic enclave.

OMAXE PROJECT- Omaxe is introducing a world-class commercial project named Omaxe Mall in Sector-19 B. Spanned across a large area of 51 acres, the Company is developing a world-class sports city along with a premium commercial complex, clubs and a 5-star hotel facility with 2500 parking facilities. The sports facility will be operated by a world-class sport management company, club and hotel will be managed by one of the best hotel brands in the World. Omaxe Mall Sector 19B Delhi will be home to the greatest restaurants, retail shops and exquisite business spaces. This business district features beautifully designed establishments, with both captivating interiors and picturesque exterior views. The Company is developing a world-class sports city along with a premium commercial complex, clubs and a 5-star hotel facility with 2500 parking facilities.

STATE BHAVANS- Dwarka now has state bhavans coming up in the vicinity. A swanky Bihar Sadan was inaugurated in Dwarka. Located on a two-acre plot in Dwarka Sector-19 area, Bihar Sadan is the third guest house of the state government in the national capital after two existing houses – Bihar Bhavan and Bihar Niwas. The Sadan is constructed at a cost of Rs 78.78 crore. Chatishgarh Bhavan, UP Bhavan have also come up in Sector-13. Delhi government is coming up with a ‘Dilli Sadan’ in Sector-19, Dwarka and since unlike other states and union territories, its dignitaries and officials live in NCR, Delhi’s Sadan would house dignitaries and government officials invited by the Delhi government from different parts of India and abroad. The 3rd Manipur Bhawan building is being contracted at a cost of Rs 100 crore in 3899.42 square metre land with the main objective of providing accommodation to state natives visiting the national capital for education, medical and other purposes. DDA has approved allotment of land for construction of six state bhawans and guest houses in Delhi's Dwarka. The bhawans will be for several states or UTs including Pondicherry, Ladakh, Tripura and Nagaland, on a plot measuring 1.6 hectares in Sector-17 of Dwarka.

GOLF COURSE:- The golf course is spread over 171 acres and will have a clubhouse, golfing academy, driving range and various other facilities apart from the 18-hole course. Besides being one of the biggest courses in Delhi, the Dwarka course will also have a golfing academy.

DIPLOMATIC ENCLAVE- At present, more than 60 diplomatic missions have their offices in Chanakya Purl. But DDA officials informed that embassies of 39 countries, which function from rented apartments in other South Delhi colonies, would be allotted plots in the new area. (The project is stuck due to some technical reasons for more than a decade)