Jama Masjid revamp gets push

In the pipeline for almost two decades, the Jama Masjid redevelopment plan has received a fresh push with the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) inviting fresh bids from firms to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) even as India's grandest mosque and its precincts continue to battle disrepair, chaos, congestion and poor sanitation.

- Snehil Sinha

NEW DELHI: "Last month, we opened the tender for appointing a new consultant for redevelopment of the Jama Masjid precinct," said a PWD official asking not to be named. To be sure, preparation of a DPR would just mean a layout of the activities that are required to be taken up for the facelift, and it could be years before actual work on the ground starts.

Jama Masjid is not a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The responsibility of the mosque's maintenance rests with the Delhi Waqf Board. However, as a special case, repairs on Jama Masjid have been carried out, from time to time, by ASI since 1956. In recent years, ASI has not taken up any conservation work at the mosque. The finial of Jama Masjid's central dome was damaged in May last year following heavy rain and thunderstorm. In June 2021, a slab of red sandstone from the minaret collapsed and ended up damaging the courtyard beneath it.

Other issues that plague the structure include narrow approach roads, and the presence of shops and residential areas opposite Jama Masjid's main entrance, near gate number 1. With markets and eateries lining the premises, sanitation is also a concern. Attempts at revamping the mosque, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1656, began in 2004 with the Delhi government conceptualising the Jama Masjid area redevelopment plan.