Another Dilli Haat to come up in east Delhi

With south Delhi's ‘Dilli Haat’ enjoying huge popularity among locals for its handicrafts and cuisine and north Delhi's Dilli Haat near Pitampura becoming the hub for cultural events, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) is contemplating to copy the same model in east Delhi.

The new ‘Dilli Haat’ is likely to come up near Akshardham Temple and Mayur Vihar phase -1. A senior DTTDC official said they have proposed to cover a part of the Shahdara drain near Mayur Vihar to build the Haat.

The Capital's original Dilli Haat near INA Market in south Delhi was also built by covering a drain.

Though the department has a piece of land near Geeta Colony earmarked for Dilli Haat, officials said the plot is too small to build the food and craft market. “That plot is just about 1.8 acres while we need 2.5-3 acres of land for such a market. Also, a location such as Mayur Vihar would prove more ideal for Dilli Haat than Geeta Colony,” an official said.

Earlier, the Delhi government's plan to develop Sanjay Lake as a place of tourist destination failed to take off while another proposal to develop Seelampur Lake for recreational activities could not see the light of the day.

“The location that we have identified is just apt for Dilli Haat. It is just next to Delhi Metro’s Noida line while another Metro corridor being built in phase 3 will also be in the close vicinity,” said a DTTDC official.