At Salimgarh Khau Gali, table is set, but food missing

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) first street food project, Khau Gali, which was proposed to start behind Salimgarh Fort in central Delhi, is yet to take off despite repeated announcements and site preparations.The much-publicised project, conceived in 2023, was aimed at showcasing Delhi’s popular street food and creating a family-friendly recreational destination.After long planning, in Jan MCD developed the site by marked space for 50 vendors.Senior officials had then said that Khau Gali would be fully functional by the end of Jan. Signboards were installed. However, nothing happened beyond that.According to sources, certain permissions were sought by Public Works Department (PWD) from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the construction of an entrance and beautification work at the proposed site, but the approvals are still pending.While MCD’s director (PR) Anil Yadav did not respond with details, an ASI official said they were unaware of the matter. PWD officials also did not respond to queries.The project was first proposed in early 2023 after then lieutenant governor VK Saxena visited the site. It was initially expected to be completed before the G20 Summit. MCD had removed encroachments in May 2023 and levelled the land.Later, applications were invited from vendors, and stakeholder meetings were held.

Large brands were given the opportunity to participate. Eventually, permissions were granted to 35-40 vendors.Only 50 vendors were to operate at a time between 6 pm and 10 pm. No cart would remain after closing hours.Officials had finalised colour themes for the food vans — red, yellow and blue — along with a suggested size of 7 ft by 5 ft.Till Sept 2025, MCD continued to fix basic infrastructure, such as provision of water and lights. The civic body earmarked parking space for visitors. Now, there is no timeline for the opening.