Retaining its charm

If you drive down from South Extension towards AIIMS,especially during office hours,you...

If you drive down from South Extension towards AIIMS,especially during office hours,you will be faced with the most mind-numbing,fury-inducing traffic. Who in their right mind would stay here? you would possibly wonder. Well,leave aside Defence Colony and the relatively calmer by-lanes of South Ex; go a little ahead on the Ring Road and to your left you will find a prime residential area that has been much sought after right from the 1960s.

Safdarjung Enclave is one of the first residential colonies built in Delhi post-Independence. Then developed by DLF,the area borrows its name from the Safdarjung Tomb 8212; which lies closer to Safdarjung Development Area and is separated from this residential colony by the inner Ring Road. Not being a locality that was designated for migrants,Safdarjung Enclave flourished with its grand kothis and bungalows built by the moneyed folk. So,its not as if the prices are in any way lesser here as compared to adjoining areas remember this still is south Delhi. Despite the burgeoning of commercial spaces around it,Safdarjung Enclave has been able to retain its exclusivity. Now,the area stretches from Safdarjung Hospital one of the citys best to Hyatt Hotel on the Ring Road all the way to Hauz Khas Deer Park.

Though no major companies are constructing new properties here,Safdarjung Enclave,like most of the older colonies in the city,has seen a lot of development by way of builder floors. Properties that are just 10 years old may be sold off to builders because the owners of the plot cannot maintain it. They are satisfied with either being bought off and moving out,or being given a floor or two in the newly-built building. And it doesnt come cheap.

For builders looking to buy plots,rates here are anywhere between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per square yard. Though there are some plot owners who would move out after selling off their land,the majority would take a floor from the builder because that would mean staying in one of the most sought-after areas in the city, says Brijyot Singh Sawhney of Posh Realty. Builder floors measuring 1,400 sq ft are being sold for Rs 2 to 3 crore. Coming to rentals,he adds,a 3-BHK can be had between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 a month,depending on the size,the year of construction and the developer who has built it.

But,there are also restrictions that builders need to abide by. Plots that face on to Africa Avenue can only have constructions with a maximum height of 15 metres which is equivalent to three floors. Builders seeking to construct structures higher than this would need to seek permission from the Archeological Survey of India,says Sawhney,as certain areas within Safdarjung Enclave fall under the government body. Parking,a grouse for many,is not much of a problem now as most builders build the ground floor on stilts,which means residents of that building have adequate parking space.

Around two years ago,there was a controversy about the manner in which the JJ clusters that had mushroomed in the area were demolished. Local politicians had tried to cash in on it by raking up a storm about their relocation. But when the dust settled,and the clusters were brought down,the locality got back some of its lost charm. However,migrant labourers do set up temporary shacks close to the Deer Park,but that does not detract from what the area holds. Though water and electricity shortages still persist,this is Delhi! Property prices in this old yet desirable area have only one way to go up.