Old Delhi’s Chemical Traders Fear Move to Narela

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

The sun scorching right above his head, Puneet Goyal hesitates to exit his white SUV. It’s been an hour since the chemical trader from Old Delhi’s Tilak Bazaar has been looking for his plot at the Integrated Freight Complex in Narela, and endlessly so.

Goyal is worried about an NGT order directing them to relocate from the present market in the walled city to Narela. But he isn’t alone. With him are over 1,000 traders dealing in chemicals, who have lost their night’s rest as well.

“Leave alone water and electricity, we haven’t even been able to find out the exact plot here. How will we meet the deadline at this rate?”

Puneet Goyal, Chemical Trader

16 Years On, Why Have Chemical Traders Not Shifted?

But why have chemical traders been asked to shift to Narela? Well, it started in the year 2000, when the Integrated Freight Complex was developed in Narela as a loading and off-loading site for industries. The idea was to take traders out of an increasingly congested Old Delhi and shift them to IFCs as a part of the Delhi Master Plan 2021.

In 2002, plots for the upcoming chemical market were allotted at the IFC in Narela, which today stands at a total of 670. But 16 years on, why didn’t traders shift shops? According to Sushil Sahu, Secretary of the Delhi Chemical Traders Association, traders were asked to meet one condition after another, which delayed the entire process.

“They asked us to obtain a no-objection certificate from the explosives department in addition to 57 other NOCs. We wanted a single, composite NOC that would allow us to obtain necessary permissions and clearances on time. The DDA refused to give us a map of the plot till the time we obtained and submitted these NOCs.”

Sushil Sahu

‘Can’t Shift Without Facilities,’ Traders Sing in Chorus

Today, at the heart of the conflict lies an alleged lack of clarity around the identification and development of plots by the Delhi Development Authority. Traders say that although they have now been provided with maps of the site, little development work has been carried out by the DDA.

Mr Bansal, a wholesale chemical trader says he had tried looking for the site a couple of months back, but what he found there left him aghast. “For over two hours, I tried looking for the plot on my motorbike, but couldn’t find it. Instead I found animal faces and jungle all around the place,” he adds.

Sushil Goyal, former President of the Chemical Traders Association says the decision to locate them to Narela was taken in a hurry and is ill-planned. “Although the DDA did undertake development work at the site back in 2002, all that has now been damaged and needs repair. They haven’t even connected the plot to the Highway,” he lamented.

IFC, Narela: A Reality Check

Since most chemical traders at Tilak Bazaar told The Quint that they were not willing to shift to Narela, we decided to check the site our self on 29 June 2018. So here’s what we found and here’s what we did not find at the Integrated Freight Complex in Narela.

• We found empty plots with sewer pits and connections. But we did not find any clear demarcation to suggest which plot belongs to which trader.
• We found electricity poles, but didn’t find any electricity connection in the form of wires.
• We didn’t find lampposts or any street lights at the site.
• We didn’t find any visible sign of water connectivity.
• We found a lot of old construction machinery and waste that had been dumped at the site.

Since the Delhi High Court had asked the DDA to develop the site and provide other necessary facilities, we wrote to the land agency’s Narela IFC director, seeking his response on a number of questions. At the time of publishing this article, The Quint did not receive any response for the same.

Little Security and Inadequate Plots at Narela, Rue Traders

Even if the land is developed and traders relocate to Narela in time, there’s no assurance that they’ll be safe there. Gopal Khurrana, a chemical trader says he doesn’t feel safe in Narela, which he says is a crime-prone area. A quick Google search shows a number of news articles, indicating an increasing incidence of murder and robbery in the area.

“Our lives are at risk in Narela. I’ve heard that 16 criminal gangs are operating from there. Who will ensure our safety? Is anyone even listening? Sometimes a murder, sometimes an ATM-van robbery, should we go there and get ourselves killed?”

Gopal Khurrana

While Khurrana frets at the thought of relocating to a crime-prone zone, Mr Bansal, a chemical trader as well, says there’s no bank to process big payments. He argues that wholesale traders often receive big payments and would require a bank to keep their daily transactions secure. So far, the DDA hasn’t developed any marketplace specifically for the chemical traders, where banking and other services could be set up.

Additionally, the DDA has allotted each trader a plot of 50 square metre, both for storing chemicals and constructing offices, which, Sunil Bansal feels is insufficient. “How can we construct warehouses at such a small space and even operate from there?” he asks.

However, Pradeep Gupta, the President of the Chemical Traders Association says they have prayed before the high court for an increase in the allotment size and hope the DDA would allot sufficient space according to the operational needs of big traders.

Former CTA President Sushil Goel, however, feels they should be allowed to continue their corporate offices in old Delhi, while using plots at the IFC for the story of chemicals only.

While wholesale traders may shift to Narela and manage to sustain operations, it’s the retailers of Tilak Bazar who fear the worst. For some chemical traders like Gopal Khurrana, retail comprises over 60 percent of their total sales, all of which could be wiped out with their relocation to the dusty suburb of Narela.

“We sell products like phenol, Harpic, Colin and and other domestic cleaning products. If they want us to shift there, it’s better that we shut shop and hand over the lock and key to the government. Let them run our businesses and give us the money from it,” he adds.

Tied closely to retail and wholesale business are the lives of workers employed by chemical traders. A dip in profit margins would impact the salaries of workers, who may have to incur additional expenses in order to travel over 34 kilometers extra to Narela. 

Ashok, 55, has been working with Darbar Chemicals for over 25 years. He stays in Chandni Chowk and usually walks to Tilak market. When asked about the Narela market, Ashok expressed his reluctance. “It’s not possible for me to travel all the way to Narela. Just not possible.”

Ashok is echoed by his younger counterpart Sonu, who fears his salary would dip further, if not increase. “Travelling to Narela would mean additional fuel expenses. If our owners don’t give us a hike, how will we incur additional expenses?,” he laments, while thinking of “auto-driving” as an alternate career.

IFC, Narela: a Market Without Customers?

Even if chemical traders relocate to Narela in time and manage to arrange transport for their workers, are retail customers willing to drag their carts on a 32-km route? The answer to this penultimate question is best encapsulated by Afzal Qutab.

“I have purchased a bottle of Nuvan from a retail shop here. If I spend Rs 100 on travel, just to buy a product worth Rs 60, then I’d be the greatest folly of all times!”

Afzal Qutub