Delhi govt revives plan to decongest Azadpur Mandi, eyes expansion at Tikri

In a renewed push to ease the chronic congestion at Azadpur Mandi, the Delhi BJP government has sought a detailed project report (DPR) for the long-pending development of a wholesale market extension at Tikri, officials said on Monday.

Azadpur Mandi—sprawled across 76 acres in north-west Delhi—is the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in the capital. It witnesses a relentless influx of trucks, small carriers, and traders every day, creating bottlenecks that have worsened over the years.

The proposed site for the extension, a 70-acre plot in Tikri (also in north-west Delhi), was acquired more than 25 years ago by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur. However, plans for a second mandi failed to take off due to prolonged bureaucratic delays.

“A directive has been issued by the Development Minister to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the Tikri land to reactivate the project,” a senior government official confirmed.

One of the major hurdles in the project was the protracted process of transferring the Tikri land to the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB), which was only completed in 2019. Since then, the site has remained unused, while the situation at Azadpur Mandi has become increasingly chaotic.

Trucks and small vehicles often have no choice but to park outside the Mandi due to space constraints, causing regular traffic snarls in the surrounding areas. For traders, the congested conditions make routine loading and unloading of produce a daily struggle.

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Officials also noted that easing the congestion would have environmental benefits. “Reducing the number of diesel-run trucks idling and queueing outside Azadpur Mandi would help cut local pollution levels,” said another government source.

The revival of the Tikri mandi plan is being positioned as a crucial step in improving both urban mobility and air quality in one of Delhi’s most densely trafficked commercial hubs.

(With inputs from PTI)