Fountains and statues of all shapes and sizes, street art depicting the length and breadth of Indian history, mythology, art and culture, and a variety of plants: Delhi is all set to roll out the red carpet for the G20 Summit this week. The Public Works Department (PWD) and other civic agencies are busy adding final touches to projects under them.
For the PWD, preventing waterlogging is of paramount importance. To this end, it has made a list of key points and ensured all pumps, pump houses and permanent pumps are in working order.
For security, the department has installed 44 more CCTV cameras in addition to 1.20 lakh existing ones across Delhi. Further, quick response teams, wearing a special uniform, will be stationed at key roads which will work in coordination with Delhi Police and security personnel.
Talking about what’s next on the agenda, a PWD official said: “We have met our target date — August 31. We will conduct a dry run from September 1-7. All roads, tunnels, underpasses and footpaths will be washed and water in fountains will be changed. From September 8-10, officers with valid permission will be stationed at various locations to ensure everything is in place. The PWD control room will personally monitor the functioning of fountains, lights, and civic infrastructure round the clock.”
(Clockwise from above) Fountains and an artifical rock waterfall installed along the Airport road; street art on the walls of Mandi House Metro station and Bhairon Marg; (on top) a view of the Pragati Maidan stretch near Bharat Mandapam, the Summit venue. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)
The Indian Express visited key stretches in South and Central Delhi that have been revamped to check out what delegates will see as they traverse the Capital.
1. The starting point: Airport Road stretch
Decorative lamp posts, like the ones used in the redevelopment of Central Vista, lush green plants and a Nandi statue with a fountain — for G20 delegates and their families, this will be the first look of the city, specially curated over the past few months in the run-up to the Summit. The 11.5-km-long Airport Road stretch was designed and divided into two parts. One is to welcome bureaucrats and leaders from foreign countries. The other — Technical area of Air Force station at Palam — is to welcome heads of all countries and states. Here’s what’s new:
Dhaula Kuan Metro Station to NHAI wall: Connects the Airport, Gurgaon and Mahipalpur
-This stretch now sports the Nandi statue with a fountain, a G20 logo and its tagline ‘Vasudev Kutumbakam – one earth, one family, one world’.
– Flanking tall red walls, built earlier by the NHAI, are 24 volcano fountains and numerous pots with flowers and other plants arranged alongside. At night, the fountains and walls will be lit up with multicolour lights.
– Footpaths from the NHAI wall to Ulan Batar Road have stone benches and a stone receptacle that can hold floating decorations. A foot overbridge on the stretch also has new facade lighting.
Ulan Batar Road to NSG junction:
– On this stretch, delegates will be able to spot an array of statues and fountains — a 3-foot black marble lion, two geyser fountains with a lion statue mounted on a base, and four lions with fountains.
– Towards Mehram Nagar, two pink sandstone elephants with fountains, several nozzle fountains, and horse fountains have been installed.
NSG junction to Airport Tunnel: This stretch leads to Terminal 3.
– Apart from lion statues (6-ft tall), the two sides of the roads have statues of yakshinis. There are also rectangular screens with the G20 logo that show Bharat Mandapam (the Summit venue) and other iconic places in Delhi. At the tunnel exit are two artificial rock waterfalls.
NSG junction-Hanuman Junction towards Palam airport:
– Here, the central verge and traffic island have been transformed into a green belt with seasonal flowers and native plants such as marigold, bougainvillea and nymeria.
– As one drives down the road, six bubble fountains, a model of a MiG aircraft installed by the Air Force, and three LED screens come into view.
– There are also 18 Shivling fountains, 14 horse sculpture fountains; and 8 sculptures of dancing figures.
– Around 730 lamp posts have been decorated while 900 focused lights and up-lighters are installed around plants.
– 10 sets of flags of all G20 countries will be installed on both sides of roads from Dhaula Kuan to NSG crossing and NSG crossing to the Airforce Gate, including Thimayya Marg and Parade Road.
A PWD official said: “The entire stretch has been redeveloped. Work started last year in June-July… 25,000 metric tonnes of debris was removed from the VVIP road and 15,000 MT from Ulan Batar Road. We are putting finishing touches. Some plants and flowers will be placed just before the event so they look fresh.”
2. Bhairon Marg to Bharat Mandapam gate no. 7
The road, which earlier had rows of parked cars, damp walls with beetle juice stains, and garbage on the side, now tells the story of culture and folklore through street art, with the scene changing every 50 metres. World leaders and delegates will also get a glimpse of Indian mythology — from a painting of lord Hanuman with folded hands and ‘Jai Siya Ram’ written on the side; a wall with Ram, Laxman and Hanuman; Krishna with gopis — when they make the journey towards Bharat Mandapam on September 9 and 10.
Incidentally, the slums in front of Pragati Maidan have been covered with temporary sheds bearing posters with G20 logos.
What’s new:
– Below railway under-bridge 13, where the road divides into three, one wall depicts a steam engine train crossing a bridge against a forested backdrop, while the others show modern India with multi-storey buildings and a Vande Bharat Express train.
– There are ‘welcome’ icons and G20-themed lights installed at several points while the sidewalks have been decorated with big plants. The central verge, too, sports fountains.
– Foot overbridges are painted light blue and fitted with facade lighting. Ornamental poles have been installed for illumination and beautification.
– A 240-metre section of the Bhairon Marg drain has also been spruced up to give it a ‘canal-like’ appearance — the overgrowth has been cleared, decorative stones line the banks and a selfie point has been created.
3. Bharat Mandapam Gate-Supreme Court Metro station
Traffic has been streamlined on the stretch, while hawkers and encroachments have been removed. The station’s walls also have a fresh coat of white and blue paint.
What’s new:
– A steel sculpture has been installed outside Bharat Mandapam gates 6 and 7 with carvings that say ‘Tiranga, Sovereign states’. There is another steel sculpture of butterfly wings.
– A number of fountains dot the area — 13 fountains from gate no 4 to 7 of Bharat Mandapam; four statues of crowns with jet fountains; and nozzle and jet fountains surrounded with shrubbery and plants such as bamboo, calendula, numerical alba, hibiscus and bougainvillea.
n Flags of 20 member countries along with those of international organisations — World Bank, United Nations, African Union, Asian Development Bank, International Labour Organisation — have been installed.
– There are also two selfie points near the gates. Traffic islands and vacant spaces near the underpass and tunnels have been converted into parks. There are also droplights on over 200 trees.
4. ITO to Rajghat
Unlike the Pragati Maidan stretch, this area was developed under the Delhi government’s streetscaping project. Starting from the ITO traffic signal towards Dilli Gate, all old lights have been replaced with smart poles that have LED lights.
What’s new:
– Vacant spaces, including central verges, now have seasonal flowers, plants and small trees.
– At Dilli Gate, a small replica of the wheel from Konark has been installed, alongside two Dhaulpur sandstone fountains.
– At the stretch outside Shantivan, four fountains have been installed.
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– PWD has installed signboards, where pedestrians will get information about places nearby. Decorative lights, walkways and cycle tracks have also been constructed.
– On Satyagrah Marg and near Gandhi Darshan, statues of Mahatma Gandhi cycling and with the charkha have also been erected.
5. Purana Qila to DPS Mathura Road
The National Zoo, Purana Qila and Crafts Museum have been lit up with facade lighting while roadsides and central verges sport new grilles. Quick response teams, emergency vehicles and workers, and round-the-clock cleaning crews will be deployed.
