Damaged within a month, India’s largest tricolour to be replaced

Less than a month after being hoisted with much pomp in Ranchi, India’s biggest tricolour flag is being replaced due to wear and tear from high-speed winds.

Less than a month after being hoisted with much pomp in Ranchi, India’s largest tricolour flag is being replaced due to wear and tear from high-speed winds.

The flag, measuring 99 by 66 feet, was hoisted by Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar on January 23 with state chief minister Raghubar Das. It was flagged to a pole 293 feet tall atop the Pahari Mandir located on a hill.

The Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, committee-in-charge of the flag, said a new one had been ordered in Mumbai. Mukesh Agarwal, spokesperson for the samiti, said that the corner of the flag, held by ropes, had begun tearing.

This is the second time the flag, made of high-grade parachute material, showed damage. Last month, pictures of a tear in the saffron section of the flag were circulated on social media, but officials denied the fabric needed repairing.

Ranchi-based engineering company, Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants Limited (MECON), which helped develop the flag post, said that this was common in large, heavy flags and they needed to be changed every few months.

“We have to keep some backups ready,” Agarwal added.

The construction of the special pole cost around Rs 1.25 crore while the flag cost Rs 44 lakh. More than a 100 workers took 40 days to complete the project.

The Jharkhand flag displaced the one in Haryana as the tallest and largest flag which measures 96 feet by 64 feet and is hoisted at a height of 250 feet.