Demolition of Udyog Bhawan in central Delhi has begun under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, a senior government official said on Monday, adding that the Center is planning additional off-road parking spaces and redesigning traffic in the area to ease expected congestion.
Demolition work on the famous Udyog Bhawan began after the demolition of Nirman Bhawan – located next to it – in mid-May. Both buildings were part of the post-independence expansion of the Central Ministerial Offices, which was constructed between 1956 and 1968. As the pace of redevelopment of Central Vista increased, the ministries were moved from both buildings to Kartavia Bhawan 3 and other new Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings. Those who could not move immediately were temporarily shifted to temporary places at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Minto Road and Netaji Nagar.
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Designed by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) architect R Gehlot, Udyog Bhawan was completed around 1957 and houses the ministries of commerce and industry, heavy industries and small and medium-sized enterprises. Nirman Bhawan, built around the same time, was the headquarters of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), which manages the overhaul of Central Vista. It also houses the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Department of Science and Technology.
The Udyog Bhawan and its contemporaries – Krishi Bhawan, Rail Bhawan and Vigyan Bhawan – were designed by CPWD architects and showcase a contemporary model of plan dressed in Indian motifs such as overhanging chajas, chhatris and prominent domes. The aim was to give an Indian feel while visually harmonizing with the Lutyens buildings surrounding them.
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Traffic management measures are part of plans to tackle expected congestion in the heart of the capital, where seven new carbon dioxide capture and storage buildings are under construction in the next two years. “Some unsightly non-heritage buildings could be removed to create multi-level parking lots,” an official said.
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Furthermore, the government is also examining AI-based adaptive traffic signal systems for the Central Vista area. The proposal, which is being considered by the Interior Department and other agencies, would use traffic data from cameras and other sources to change signal timing rather than relying on fixed cycles. Under a previous proposal, only Central Vista was to be equipped with these AI-based signals, but now the entire city — starting with Central Vista — would get the technology.
Another official said the MRA would consult with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on whether popular online mapping services could be told to discourage private vehicles in the Central Vista area. The official said efforts are underway to make the Kartavia Road meadows and Ugyuygin Museum more accessible via buses and metro.
