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Roads leading to Kartavya Path may soon get Vista-like revamp treatment
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) plans to undertake a complete transformation of the eight stretches including Tilak Marg and KG Marg
Residents of Delhi can expect Central Vista-themed features on key avenue roads that are connected to Kartavya Path and the India Gate C-hexagon, according to officials aware of the plans.
The New Delhi Municipal Council, which oversees the New Delhi district, is set to spruce up eight stretches in the general vicinity of the intersection: Tilak Marg, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, Pandara Road, Tolstoy Marg, Hailey Road, Tansen Marg and Babar Road.
The redeveloped Central Vista Avenue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, now hosts heritage-style streetlights, pedestrian underpasses, walkways, toilet blocks and street furniture. The walkways now use lakha red granite sourced from Jalore in Rajasthan, the underpasses use brown granite from Bengaluru, the amenities blocks use black granite and the bollards are made of white sandstone sourced from Bharatpur.
NDMC vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay said the council will take inspiration from the architectural features of the Central Vista project while revamping other arterial roads.
“While coming to visit the Central Vista or travelling around it, people will not feel as if they have arrived in a different area. We will extend the same feel to all the connecting roads in coming months so that they support and enhance the beauty of the central stretch,” Upadhyay said.
Kuljeet Chahal, a council member, said that these stretches will also host new sculptures and amenities – all based on the themes used for the redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue.
An NDMC official said that under the first phase, a budget of ₹7 crore has been passed for the rejuvenation of roads around the Central Vista. “We will create facilities such as happiness areas, install sculptures at roundabouts, redesign footpaths, install new railings, signages and LED panels for information -- essentially turning them into smart roads. The colour schemes will be similar to that of the Central Vista,” the official said asking not to be named.
The official added that eventually all road stretches around the vista will also be relaid and strengthened, official added.
The revamped Central Vista hosts 974 streetlights with elegantly designed poles and 1,000 white sandstone bollards to maintain the historical character of the precinct. Around 16.5 kilometres of pedestrian walkways have been added along the Kartavya Path across the lawns and canals and the India Gate precinct.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has also added eight amenities block with toilets, vending kiosks and drinking water fountains. “A total of 64 toilets for women, and 32 toilets for men have been added, and seven vending plazas have been earmarked across the avenue,” an official associated with the project said.
The avenue has 422 red sandstone benches and 162 red sandstone dustbin casings. A total of 1,892 white sandstone bollards have been installed around the Kartavya Path area and at the vending plazas to maintain aesthetic harmony.
