New Delhi: As India gears up for its 73rd Republic Day on January 26, the revamped Central Vista Avenue in the national capital is all decked up for the celebrations.
The officials said the red granite walkways spreading 1.10 lakh square metre with greenery all around, 133 light poles along the Rajpath, 4,087 trees, 114 modern signages and stepped gardens will be part of the redeveloped Central Vista, PTI reported.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said there will be a total of 915 light poles, including those in gardens and along the Rajpath between the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate.
The Republic Day parade spectators will this year get to see major changes along the stretch in terms of the new look of Rajpath and facilities created under the Central government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who earlier visited the Central Vista Avenue, said that a full dress rehearsal parade will be held on Sunday.
“In spite of (recent) rains, etc., all the work is complete,” he said.
The minister said that only 25 trees have been relocated, adding 22 trees have been shifted to another location and three are here.
Even though temporary bridges on water bodies along the Rajpath have been set up as part of the Republic Day parade arrangements, a total of 16 permanent ones will come up.
Eight amenity blocks are being constructed, as per an official document, while four pedestrian underpasses will come up in the entire stretch.
‘Tree Avenue’ has 4,087 trees, it shows on the developed stretch, but the earlier number was 3,890.
The stretch also sports 422 red granite benches.
The new red granite walkways spreading 1,10,457 sqm have been created along the Rajpath, replacing bajri sand that lined the ground earlier.
Around 987 concrete bollards have been installed on the Rajpath and a total of 1,490 modern-look manholes have replaced the earlier ones.
The Central Vista redevelopment project envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the three-km Rajpath, a new Prime Minister’s residence and Prime Minister’s office besides a new Vice President’s enclave.
The redevelopment work of the Central Vista Avenue is being executed by Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited.
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