The“Chandni Chowk” located in the Old Delhi was originally developed by Mughals over three centuries ago. It is the busiest and the oldest markets of the North India. In spite of all the modern changes that have taken place, this place has been able to retain its historical character, tradition and culture. 

Chandni Chowk recently was featured in the media twice, once for the reason that it has been declared as the India’s most polluted residential area and secondly, for witnessing the unveiling of solar-powered rickshaws in the capital, that is ideally suited for the Chandni Chowk, since here heavy jams have become an everyday tale, and therefore, these rickshaws can not only help to organize the congested lanes but also can make an effort to reduce the pollution. 

So with this in mind, last week, the Chief Minister of Delhi launched Soleckshaw- the solar-powered cycle rickshaw, at a function in Chandni Chowk. The Soleckshaw, also dubbed as “Green Rickshaw” weighs nearly 210 Kg, runs at a speed of 15 to 20 Km per hour and can carry load up to 200 Kg. it runs on a solar battery, that is of 36 volts and needs a charging after 5 hours to help it run nearly 60 Km. 

Created by a leading science laboratory of India, Solekshaw has now been scheduled to be produced on a public-private partnership basis. Other than the launch of the green rickshaw, an Rs.100 crore (US$ 20.6 million) project was also announced at the function, with the aim to clean and organize the Chandni Chowk.