Dwarka, Delhi


Dwarka is a sub-city and a diplomatic enclave located in South West Delhi district of National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. The sub-city is located extremely near to Indira Gandhi International Airport and serves as the administrative headquarters of South West Delhi, which is led by District Magistrate. It is the largest sub-city in Asia.
Dwarka is organised into sectors and mainly has Cooperative Group Housing Societies as residential options. It is one of the sought-after residential areas in the city. The sub-city also has the largest rooftop solar plant in the Union territory of Delhi.
In January 2017, the Cabinet of India approved Dwarka to be the second Diplomatic Enclave for 39 countries on 34 hectares, after Chanakyapuri. In 2016, the Cabinet of India, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved 89.72 hectares of land for an Exhibition-cum Convention centre, estimated to cost.
Dwarka is being developed as a smart city under Delhi Development Authority's ‘smart sub-city’ project. Dwarka and Matiala both represent Dwarka sub-city and are one of the 70 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Delhi.

History

Origins

Dwarka is named after the legendary Dwaraka Kingdom. It is a short distance away from Gurgaon which is a major hub for large corporations in the country and about 10 km away from Indira Gandhi International Airport. With the opening up of the Airport Express Line in 2011, the travel time from the Dwarka Sector 21 Metro station to Airport was reduced to less than 10 minutes.
Some parts of modern-day Dwarka historically came under the colony of Pappankalan, which are now being developed under the 'Urban Expansion Projects' of the Delhi Development Authority.
A small baoli, discovered five years ago in Dwarka, has been restored and could become a tourist attraction. An elaborate conservation project by the India National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage for the Lodi-era baoli was completed recently. Dwarka Baoli is a historical stepwell recently discovered in Dwarka Sub City, in southwest New Delhi, India. It was constructed for the residents of Loharehri village by the Sultans of the Lodi Dynasty in the early 16th century. Dwarka now stands where the Loharehri village once stood.

21st century

In 2019, Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh inaugurated India's first National Cyber Forensic Lab which is part of the National Cyber Coordination Centre and Cyber Protection Awareness and Detection Center of Delhi Police in Dwarka. The Election Commission of India has established India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management campus in Dwarka. The National Highways Authority of India headquarters, an autonomous agency of the Government of India, set up in 1988 is located in Dwarka.
The Ministry of External Affairs owns MEA Housing Complex in Dwarka, for the housing of its officials and diplomats. The Government of Delhi has approved for creating Indira Gandhi Hospital, a super-specialty hospital in Dwarka, which will cost and will be spread over 24 acres, to be operational from the year 2020. The Punjab National Bank opened its new corporate head office in Dwarka in 2018.
In 2020, Manipur Bhavan is being built in Dwarka by Government of Manipur.

Cityscape

Parks

Delhi Development Authority is currently planning to establish a theme-based park, to be spread over 200 acres in sector 20.

Culture

Sports

Dwarka is home to a sports complex in Sector 11 with facilities such as Tennis, Badminton including covered Badminton Hall, Table Tennis, Billiards / Snooker / Pool, Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Jogging Track, Cricket, Cricket Practice Pitches, Multigym, Skating, Snack - Bar, Pro - Shop, Tennis Practice wall, Squash, Children Park, Yoga, Karate, Swimming Pool with Toddler Pool.
The Delhi Development Authority is planning to create an 18 hole state-of-the-art golf course over an area of 173 acres in Sector 24.

Location

Currently, the Dwarka Sub-City is divided into 5 MCD Wards: 135 - Kakraula, 136 - Matiala, 141 - Bijwasan, 145 - Palam, and 147 - Mahavir Enclave. Dwarka is divided into three Assembly Constituencies i.e. AC-34 Matiala, AC-36 Bijwasan, AC-37 Palam. It is also divided into two Parliamentary constituencies i.e. West Delhi and South Delhi. The area of Dwarka Sub-city as per DDA records is 5648 Hectares. The density of the population is around 160–200 per H A. Road length in Dwarka is 396 km.

Social issues

Sanitation

The irregularity in transportation of garbage and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation failing to clean Dwarka, has recently caused the city to face a severe sanitation crisis. The Delhi High Court has been looking into the issue of lack of sanitation and cleaning in Dwarka since 2014. Civic agencies such as DDA and the municipal corporation have blamed Dwarka filth on ‘lack of civic sense’.
On February 2020, Delhi High Court directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation and DDA to provide a healthy and safe environment to residents of the sub-city.

Crime

Due to lack of streetlights, empty roads and absence of security guards in most colonies after sunset seem to have made Dwarka a happy hunting ground for criminals. Two new police districts were proposed in 2016 to increase security.

Transportation

Dwarka sub-city is emerging as a cultural hub of the south-west Delhi. There are different music and dance clubs present. Shopping centres have come up in the five-star hotels and another one next to Sector 12 metro station which host few eateries and places to hang out.
In 2018, Pacific India was selected to develop a shopping mall and multi-level car parking at the Dwarka Sector 21 metro station.

Mixed land use concept

DDA has implemented a unique concept of Mixed Land Use in Dwarka. Most of the DDA housing clusters in Dwarka have commercial buildings in close proximity. In many sectors, approximately 80% of a plot is used for residential flats and the remaining 20% for commercial use. This unique MLU concept is convenient for the occupants of Dwarka DDA flats, as they get the facility of shopping, dining and purchasing grocery in close proximity.

Social infrastructure

The sub-city has been planned for an environment of convenience containing essential facilities and services at different levels - mainly health, education, hotel, safety and security, cultural, and communication etc. Two malls recently opened one at Dwarka sector 21 Metro Station and another near to Dwarka Sector 14 metro station.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Dwarka is home to many primary and secondary schools, Bal Bhavan International School, Venkateshwar International School and Delhi Public School being a part of it.

Universities and Colleges

is planning a new campus in Dwarka and will be building hostels for students and residential quarters for staff members.
National Law University, Delhi and Netaji Subhas University of Technology is located in Dwarka. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi State Government's only University has its main campus located in Dwarka Sector 16-C. The campus houses University School of Law and Legal Studies, one of the top law colleges in the country. The university has around 120 affiliated colleges located in the NCR.
Along with engineering and law institutes like University School of Chemical Technology, University School of Information, Communication and Technology, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management and National Law University, Delhi.