The history of 33 Sham Nath Marg, considered ‘ill-fated’ in Delhi, will change, now it will become DDMA headquarters.
The identity of 33 Sham Nath Marg, which has been a topic of discussion in the political circles of Delhi for years, is now going to change. The Delhi government is preparing to demolish this bungalow chosen as the Chief Minister’s residence and build a new administrative center in its place. Delhi’s first dedicated Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) headquarters will now be built in place of this long abandoned bungalow. Located in Civil Lines area, this bungalow has been associated with the power of Delhi for a long time. However, with time this address reportedly came to be considered ‘blighted’ in political circles and remained vacant for many years. Now the Delhi government is planning to change this old image and develop it as a modern disaster management centre.
The two-storey bungalow spread over an area of more than 5000 square meters will now be demolished and the new headquarters of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will be built here. There have been many discussions and superstitions in political circles regarding this bungalow which had been deserted for a long time. Many people have been considering this bungalow as ill-fated and cursed. This was the reason why despite being selected for the Chief Minister’s residence, it remained vacant for a long time. Now the Delhi government has decided to convert this place into a modern disaster management centre. The government plans to build a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) here. Through this centre, relief and rescue operations will be monitored during any major disaster or emergency. Modern technology will be used here for better coordination between various government agencies and to take quick decisions.
Why is it considered cursed?
Delhi’s famous 33 Sham Nath Marg bungalow, which was built during the British rule in the 1920s, is once again in the news. This historic two-storey bungalow is now set to be demolished to make way for Delhi’s first dedicated Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) headquarters and a modern Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Located near Civil Lines and Assembly constituency, this bungalow was considered very grand in its time. It had facilities like large lawns, conference rooms, spacious gardens and staff quarters. After independence, in view of its strategic location, it was chosen as the official residence of the Chief Minister.
Layers of superstition added over time
With the passage of time, different types of assumptions started forming in political circles regarding this bungalow. People started associating this place with the ups and downs in the political career of the Chief Ministers who lived here. Gradually this perception grew stronger and ultimately for many years no Chief Minister came forward to live here. In subsequent years the bungalow remained in various administrative uses. The last major government official to work here was Jasmine Shah, who was the vice-chairperson of the Delhi Dialogue Commission. Controversy arose in the year 2022 when Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena instructed the then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to remove Jasmine Shah from her post. He was charged with alleged abuse of his position.
Why is it being redeveloped?
Delhi’s historic 33 Sham Nath Marg bungalow, which has long been associated with superstition and ‘dystopian’ image in political circles, is now going to be revealed in a completely new form. The Delhi government is preparing to demolish this place and build a dedicated headquarters of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and a modern Emergency Operations Center (EOC) here. Although many people are seeing this decision as an initiative to end old superstitions, but an important administrative reason is also being said behind it. According to officials, at present there is no separate and dedicated headquarters of DDMA in Delhi, due to which the work related to disaster management remains divided among different government offices.
Lack of separate headquarters becomes a big challenge
Officials say that during any emergency such as flood, earthquake or fire, the existing system often proves to be slow in taking rapid decisions and coordinating between agencies. In the absence of a separate headquarters, it becomes difficult to bring together units related to police, administration, health and disaster management. In view of this problem, the need for a centralized and modern headquarters for DDMA was being felt for a long time. A state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will also be built at the proposed DDMA headquarters, where there will be arrangements for real-time monitoring, data analysis and quick coordination between all agencies. This will help in making relief and rescue operations more rapid and effective during disasters.
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