Karnal MC plans Rs 106 crore multi-level parking facility

The Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) has drawn up a plan to develop a multi-level parking facility at the site of the old vegetable market under the Urban Challenge Fund. The project aims to provide a permanent solution to the parking problem in the city’s busy market areas.

The proposed project, estimated to cost around Rs 106 crore, will have a multi-storey building with parking facilities in the basement and on the upper floors for 1,056 vehicles. It will also have commercial and public-use spaces.

As per the proposed plan, the facility will have two basement levels and a semi-basement. The first and second basements will be used for vehicle parking, while a food court/fast-food area is proposed in the semi-basement.

The ground floor will have 31 shops, while office space is proposed on the first floor. Parking facilities will be developed on the second floor and on the upper levels of the building.

Officials said the project is expected to ease traffic congestion and provide a long-term solution to the shortage of organised parking spaces in and around the city’s major commercial areas.

The proposal has already been approved by the KMC House. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will now be prepared and submitted to the government for approval. Work on the project will begin after the required approvals are received, said Mahipal, Principal Consultant, Engineering Wing, KMC.

Mayor Renu Bala Gupta said the project had been planned under the Urban Challenge Fund, under which the financial burden would be shared through different sources.

“Twenty-five per cent of the project cost will be contributed by the state government, another 25 per cent by the Centre, while the remaining 50 per cent will be arranged by the KMC or through public participation,” said Mayor Gupta.

She said the proposed multi-level parking facility would be an important step towards addressing the city’s long-standing parking problem. Gupta said the old vegetable market site was located in an important and congested commercial area. Its redevelopment into a modern parking facility would help decongest surrounding roads while also providing organised commercial space. Saloni Sharma, Commissioner, KMC, said the objective was to provide a modern and permanent parking solution in one of the busiest parts of the city. The proposed project would not only increase parking capacity but also make better use of valuable urban land. “The proposed project would accommodate around 1,056 cars across its designated parking areas. It would also include shops, offices and a food court, making it a mixed-use urban infrastructure project. We expect the project to improve parking management, reduce roadside parking and ease congestion in the market areas once the facility becomes operational,” said the Commissioner.