NEW DELHI: The newly-installed sculptures and fountains along the road stretch between the IGI Airport and Dhaula Kuan have become “new icons” of Delhi, officials at the Raj Niwas said on Monday, adding more such installations will come up across the national capital.
The road beautification exercise, initiated by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, essentially aims at creating permanent assets in the national capital so as to make Delhi forever ready to host any major national or international events, they said. This initiative has gained momentum over the past few months with a number of private entities lending their support under CSR activities, an official said.
For anybody travelling to and from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the newly installed statues and sculptures of lions and elephants and fountains on the stretch up to Dhaula Kuan are the new icons of the city hard to ignore, they said.
Altogether, apart from the IGI Airport-Dhaula Kuan stretch, four marble statues of elephants, one big marble statue of a lion, one statue of a five-horse family and one black marble statue of Polo Horse, etc. have been installed in New Delhi. Similarly, 25 stone fountains are being installed at strategic locations so as to give a major aesthetic upgrade to the city and offer its residents and visitors a pleasing sight.
“Consistent efforts on the part of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over the past several months are taking the national capital towards becoming a city of beautifully carved, aesthetically pleasing and strategically placed sculptures and statues, like one witness in the world’s leading cities like Paris, Rome and London...,” the official said.
“The latest addition to these are a five-horse family being installed at the roundabout of Akbar Road near Vice President House. The installation work is in progress and will be completed by May 30,” the official said. The lieutenant governor on his recent visit to the arterial stretch behind the Red Fort had announced plans to install similar sculptures and statues there.