Delhi to convert historic Civil Lines bungalow into disaster management command centre
The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) has invited bids for consultancy services to convert a colonial-era bungalow at 33, Shamnath Marg in Civil Lines into an integrated control and command centre for the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The project aims to transform the historic property, which has long been regarded as "jinxed" in political and administrative circles, into a central hub for disaster preparedness and emergency response.
Approximately ₹20 lakh will be spent on the initial planning phase, which is expected to take around two months. The selected consulting agency will be responsible for finalising the master plan layout, providing detailed architectural drawings, planning structural changes, and reviewing the landscape. The PWD aims to complete the structural modifications within the current financial year.
Built in the 1920s near the Delhi Assembly, the four-bedroom bungalow features expansive lawns, fountains, an outhouse, and staff quarters. It was originally meant to serve as the official residence of the Delhi chief minister. However, it gained a reputation for being politically unlucky after multiple occupants exited office abruptly.
Delhi's first chief minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, moved into the residence in 1952 but left office before completing his term in 1955. In 1993, the bungalow was allotted to chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, who resigned in 1996. His successor, Sahib Singh Verma, chose to use the property only as a camp office and also failed to complete his full term.
Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit decided against moving into the bungalow in 1998. The last full-time political occupant was former labour minister Deep Chand Bandhu, who lived there until his death in 2003. Since then, the property has remained mostly vacant, though it briefly housed the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission in 2015.
The new command centre will house officials from various disaster management agencies. The redesign will be modelled after the Health Emergency Operations Centre in Bengaluru, incorporating advanced command-and-control systems. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced an allocation of ₹10 crore for the state-of-the-art facility in her Budget 2026-27 speech.
