Har Ghar Tiranga: MCD to distribute flags, illuminate flyovers, govt buildings

The civic body has also started identifying main roads, markets, flyovers, roundabouts , government buildings on which decoration and illumination will be done from August 13 to 15, 2022

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be co-ordinating the distribution of around 2 million nation flags under ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign announced by the central government to mark 75 years of Independence this year.

Roundabouts will be decorated with Tricolours through floral boards , flags and illumination. The Tricolour will be hoisted in more than 1,000 government offices, markets and public places, officials say (Representative image/HT Archive)

The civic body also plans to unfurl the national flag in more than 1,000 government offices, markets and public spaces besides illuminating flyovers and government buildings in the tricolour for three days from August 13-15.

In a letter sent to zonal heads on August 4, municipal commissioner Gyanesh Bharti said the department of art and culture of the Union government will be providing the civic body with 2 million national flags that have to be unfurled atop individual houses and buildings from August 13-15 and zonal deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure that flags are distributed to houses, markets, and MCD employees, among others.

The civic body plans to deploy its education department for distributing 560,000 flags while 1.5 million flags will be sent to the 12 administrative zones -- works out to about 120,000 flags per zone.

The MCD oversees an area of 1397.3 square kilometres divided into the 12 zones of Centre, South, West, Najafgarh, Rohini, Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, SP-City, Keshavpuram, Narela, Shahdara and Shahdara South.

It has 1,563 primary schools that cater to 812,000 students. “The co-ordination for distribution of flags will be carried out by the director (education) while the engineering department will provide the logistics support. The teachers of MCD schools shall ensure that flags are hoisted at homes of MCD employees and students,” the communication said.

The civic body has also started identifying main roads, markets, flyovers, roundabouts , and government buildings that can be illuminated and decorated with the tricolour from August 13 to 15. “Roundabouts will be decorated with a display of tricolour through floral boards , flags and illumination. Along with that, the tricolour will be hoisted at more than 1,000 government offices, markets and public places,” an MCD official said, asking not to be named.

Each of the 12 zones have been asked to illuminate at least four flyovers. Some of the earmarked spaces include Africa Avenue flyover, Savitri flyover, Motibagh flyover, Mudka flyover, and Tilak Nagar, among others.

An MCD official said under the south zone, illumination will be carried out at Basant Lok Market, RK Puram Market, B-8 Vasant Kunj Market and a flag hoisting programme will be organised at 181 corporation buildings, 120 primary school buildings, 19 dispensaries and 24 malaria offices.

Each of 12 zones has submitted similar plans for buildings, markets and public spaces, the official quoted above said.

Disposal of flags

Another corporation official overseeing the preparations said the municipal body has instructed all zonal offices to ensure proper disposal of the national flag after the Independence Day celebrations.

“Zonal staff have been told that in case any national flag is found soiled, distorted and damaged, then it will be deposited with the “zonal control room” through the sanitary inspector of the MCD of the ward concerned. Soiled, distorted or damaged flags will be disposed of as per the directions issued by the ministry of home affairs, under the Flag Code of India, 2002, and Prevention of Insults To National Honour Act,” the second official said, asking not to be named.

Other agencies

Meanwhile, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has plans to put up over 10,500 national flags on 100 of its roads, intersections, park entrances, and roundabouts in Lutyens’ Delhi from August 13 to 15. The flags, measuring 2x3 feet, will be unfurled on electric poles as well as other 6m high unipoles and work on these will start on August 10.

A senior official from the PWD said the project to install 500 high mast national flags across the city will be completed in the next 10 days. “A total of 490 such 33 metre high flags have been installed and the remaining 10 will be put up in the next week. The project is nearing completion,” a senior PWD official said.

Last year, the Delhi government set aside a budget of ₹45 crore for installation of 500 high-mast flag installations under the ‘Deshbhakti’ budget