NDMC to revamp RML roundabout in Delhi on G20 lines

The civic body has invited bids to hire contractors for the work which is expected to take around 1.5 months.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to undertake the redevelopment and fresh landscaping of the busy roundabout near Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital in central Delhi and install a series of sculptures, fountains and walkways, officials aware of the matter said.

The civic body plans to spend around ₹91,75,000 on the redevelopment project. (HT Archive)

The civic body has invited bids to hire contractors for the work which is expected to take around 1.5 months. The revamped site, also referred to as North Avenue Park, will feature new granite structures, LED lights for night illumination and fountains and the surrounding areas will be redesigned under the public space improvement project, the officials added.

NDMC vice chairperson Satish Upadhyay said the redevelopment of the busy roundabout is being taken under the series of projects to beautify the New Delhi region — started ahead of the G20 Summit last year.

“We are continuing to take this drive forward to improve the aesthetics of the Lutyens’ Delhi area. The redeveloped site will feature five different elephant sculptures of varying sizes which will be depicted as a family. It will also host a series of low-height geyser fountains which are 1.5m high,” Upadhyay added.

The roundabout has a diameter of around 60 metres and is located near Talkatora Garden at the intersection of Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Road, North Avenue and Talkatora Road. The civic body plans to spend around ₹91,75,000 on the redevelopment project.

The redevelopment site was inspected by lieutenant governor VK Saxena in October last year. Saxena had said: “We carried out a site survey of the locations with officers to identify focus areas for upgradation. The area will very soon bear a new aesthetically pleasing look with new street design, sculptures and artifacts. The crossing at Simon Boliver Marg and the iconic Talkatora Gardens are in for a makeover.”

HT had earlier reported that the civic body is also in the process of adding a chariot made of red sandstone surrounded by a waterbody and an array of fountains at the traffic intersection of the Sardar Patel Marg and Panchsheel Marg in central Delhi.

Last April, NDMC began installing new series of sculptures on its major roundabouts/rotaries and arterial roads to improve the aesthetics of public spaces in the run-up to the G20 meetings at key points including near Ashok hotel, Panchsheel Marg-Lok Kalyan Marg roundabout, and Tughlaq Road.