'Unique Entertainment Destination': 10 Years Without Results, Rajghat Power Plant Reuse Proposal Returns

Last Updated:January 14, 2026, 08:00 IST

The Delhi government wants to redevelop the power plant and surrounding area into a nightlife, cultural and culinary hub

The 166-metre Rajghat Power Plant chimney tower, which has been repurposed as a city landmark, stands illuminated in New Delhi. (Image: PTI/File)

A 45-acre land parcel, just a walk from the ITO intersection in New Delhi, has lain vacant for a decade now after the Rajghat coal-powered plant was shut in 2015 to curb air pollution in the national capital.

After multiple failed attempts, the Delhi government has once again floated a proposal – to convert the Rajghat power plant into a “unique entertainment destination" for the city’s nightlife.

This is not the first time that the government is discussing such ideas. Since 2016, there have been several plans to use the land. Last year, too, a tender was issued for turning the land into a “unique entertainment destination". Even in 2019, plans were made to convert this place into a solar plant and electricity museum.

But nothing was done and the land has remained unused since 2015. The plant, with a power generation capacity of 135 MW, is situated right next to the Yamuna river and was commissioned in 1989.

The authorities want to redevelop the power plant and surrounding area into a nightlife, cultural and culinary hub. This time, the power department is exploring options to redevelop the area through a private-public partnership. The current proposal is in the planning stage and will take a couple of months.

In an area otherwise dominated by government offices and heritage zones, the proposal will offer Delhi residents a unique experience. The plan has the potential to significantly enhance the economic landscape of the area around Rajghat with not just more jobs but also a rare addition of public leisure space. However, questions related to affordability, traffic congestion and late-night accessibility remain.

SEVERAL PLANS, NO FINAL DECISION

Soon after the plant was shut, then cabinet minister Satyendar Jain had announced in 2016 that they were exploring the option to convert the thermal power plant into a waste-to-energy plant to improve the city’s garbage disposal facilities.

Plans were also announced to convert the plant into a ground-based solar plant and electricity museum. In 2019, the Delhi cabinet gave its nod to convert the area into a ‘solar park’ with a capacity to produce 5,000 KW of electricity. But nothing changed on the ground.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had in 2024-2025 invited applications for expressions of interest (EOI) for repurposing the Rajghat power plant into a one-stop unique entertainment destination. Ever since the BJP came to power in February 2025, several plans were made to use the land again.

In October 2025, public works department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma had directed for a proposal to use the vacant land. Plans were also made to build a new secretariat for the Delhi government – an idea that only remained in the planning stage.

According to a recent proposal, accessed by News18, the government wants to keep the main structure of the power plant to a maximum extent while converting the space into a “world-class, multipurpose recreational and commercial hub" that also serves as an educational showcase of a coal-based thermal power plant’s operations.

The repurposing was planned keeping in mind the thermal power plant experience centre, shopping, food and beverage, gaming zones, night time recreation, kids’ zones, water-based recreation, local food market and others. The DDA had invited concept notes from stakeholders. Later, a request for a proposal was also issued in July 2025 for transaction advisory services for repurposing the Rajghat power plant.

A DDA official, demanding anonymity, told News18 that the major share of the land is with the Delhi government. “Any decision on the use of this land will need the approval from the LG," they said.

The lieutenant governor of Delhi is the chairperson of the DDA. A Delhi government official told News18 that the land is at a prominent location and has a lot of potential. 

“It is right opposite to the newly developed Asita Yamuna Riverfront Park, and is next to Rajghat. In the four to five kilometre radius, there is Red Fort, Chandni Chowk and areas from Old Delhi," the official said.

With coal power plants closed across the national capital, there are plans to restore this structure as a 5D-museum. The authorities have proposed that the machinery and buildings can be retrofitted and reused to provide museums, entertainment facilities, commercial markets, food and beverage facilities, art districts, exhibitions spaces, and fitness centres.

‘INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE’: NEEDS RESTORATION

Calling it an “industrial heritage", one of the proposals stated that the entire plant has been in a dormant and unused state for years.

The Rajghat power plant houses several industrial heritage buildings, including the turbine building, conveyor belts for the coal, 160-metre chimney, various storage buildings, the clarifier building and cooling towers. There is also a British-era building with a rose window, which was probably used for storage.

One important aspect of the site is that it is a polluted industrial brownfield and both – the site and its structures – need to be audited and appropriately restored before adaptive reuse of any kind. Hence, authorities need to check the safety of the buildings and structures.

Among the mandatory audits will be the structural audit – exploring current strength, remaining life, cost of retrofitting and strengthening and proposed strategy for adaptive reuse by government institutes, officials aware of the issue told News18. In addition, a brownfield audit of the site and structures also needs to be done, covering the level of contamination, strategies for cleaning and restoration before making it fit for public use, they added.

Among other challenges the location faces is accessibility, especially at night. The authorities are also exploring options to enhance connectivity.

At present, despite being centrally located, the site does not have extensive public transport connectivity. So, before turning it into a public space, that aspect needs to be improved.

With a decade already lost to shifting proposals and stalled approvals, the Rajghat power plant now stands as a test case for Delhi’s ability to turn ambitious urban visions into on-ground reality – or risk letting another prime public asset slip further into neglect.

News india 'Unique Entertainment Destination': 10 Years Without Results, Rajghat Power Plant Reuse Proposal Returns

Read More