NEW DELHI: The redevelopment work for the 3-km-long Central Vista Avenue— the stretch between North and South Block and India Gate —started on Thursday. Union Minister for Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday performed the bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking) ceremony for the project which is estimated to cost Rs 608 crores.
Works include refurbishing, strengthening and restoring the avenue’s landscape and tree cover; providing amenities that make it comfortable for civic users and tourists to use and; making it more pedestrian-friendly and easier for traffic to negotiate. The government plans to hold the 2022 Republic Day parade on the refurbished Rajpath, a project that is being executed under the government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment plan.
“The next R-Day parade will be on Central Vista Avenue. It’ll be a symbol of Modern India. Some don’t understand its importance; some don’t want the country to progress. They were questioning the Covid vaccine too but as all can see, we had a phenomenal rollout,” said Puri. The design also provides space and facilities for vendors, ensures that arrangements for national events cause minimal disruption, and ensures integrity and continuity of the Vista’s original layout, its geometries and its architectural character.
The Centre approved a proposal for the development of Central Vista Avenue with an estimated cost of Rs 608 crore. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been entrusted to carry out this important work. Phase-I work has been awarded by CPWD to Shapoorji Pallonji Company (Pvt) Limited with the cost of Rs 477 crores through competitive bidding on January 8th this year.
The components of development work under Phase-I include refurbishing of landscaping and lawns. The green cover will be increased from 3,50,000 sqm to about 3,90,000 sqm and proper public amenities with toilets, drinking water facilities and the vending area will be provided at 10 locations for visitors and tourists. It will be made more pedestrian-friendly with underpasses at Janpath and C-Hexagon crossing with Rajpath. Walkways across lawns with low-level bridges over canals will also be there to ensure better connectivity.