The revamped Central Vista in Delhi will be open to the public after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates it on September 8.
Modi will unveil of statue Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate.
Officials of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, requesting anonymity, said that in view of the rush in the initial weeks, Delhi Police had been asked to make available additional personnel in the area. The area has been shut down for 19 months.
A ministry official said, “It is an important public space. Earlier, too, the footfall was high, especially during the weekend. We are expecting a huge crowd as it is opening after a long gap and people are curious to see the redeveloped avenue.”
The Rajpath section between Vijay Chowk and Mansingh Road will be open to the public after the inauguration, which is scheduled for Thursday at around 7 o’clock.
The official stated that when the arrangements for the inauguration are finalized, the section between India Gate and Mansingh Road would be open to the general public over the weekend.
An official said that to ensure there is no harm to the new infrastructure, up to 50 security personnel would be stationed there. Up to 300 CCTV cameras have been put in place, and they will all be watched over by a control room established up on the avenue, the official said.
Finishing touches were being given on Saturday to the 1.8 km of newly landscaped lawns and other facilities constructed as part of the 608 crore project, on which construction started on February 1 of last year.
People now have access to more green space due to bridges connecting the lawns on each side of the repaired canals. Four pedestrian underpasses have been built by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the project’s nodal agency, to ensure easy access between the lawns.
Another official said, “We have constructed close to 16.6km of walkways on this stretch, and other essential facilities, which were missing earlier.”
On either side of Rajpath, the CPWD has built parking spaces for 1,117 cars and 40 buses.
