Shaheedi Park at ITO to open by March 23

The park, being redeveloped by the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD) at a cost of ₹16.5 crore, was earlier scheduled to be completed by Republic Day

The Shaheedi park located at ITO — which is being redeveloped under the waste-to-art theme as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of India’s independence — will likely be opened to the public by March-end, officials said on Friday.

The civic body also plans to revive the defunct water channels in the park, and develop a food court on its premises. (HT PHOTO)

The park, being redeveloped by the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD) at a cost of ₹16.5 crore, was earlier scheduled to be completed by Republic Day. However, after missing the deadline owing to non-clearance, it will now be opened by March 23, officials said, to commemorate the death anniversary of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. The government marks the day as Shaheed Diwas.

Art galleries and installations made out of scrap will line the theme park located at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, and is meant to provide an immersive educational and artistic experience, senior officials associated with the project said.

An entry fee will be charged for visitors at the theme park spread over 4.5 acres, officials said.

At the ITO park, 11 art galleries will be made along water channels in a way that will showcase a chronological history of India and the road to its Independence. Besides, 120 installations recreated using scrap material will be put up and are currently being made near the waste-to-wonder park at Sarai Kale Khan. About 200 tons of scrap such as parts of old vehicles, electricity poles, pipes, irons rods etc will be used to make the installations

Most of the installation exhibits are complete and they will be transported to the ITO site, an official said.

The civic body also plans to revive the defunct water channels in the park, and develop a food court on its premises. A second official from the horticulture department said that the art galleries will be put up along the revived water channels located in the rear of the end of the park, while the front portion currently has sculptures of freedom fighters.

Officials said that there will be no entry fee for the front portion.

“The front portion of the park which currently houses sculptures of freedom fighters and stone pathways will remain free of cost, while the entry to the theme park will be ticketed. Some of the replicas in the park will be titled Golden period of Bharat, Maratha empire, Sikh empire, freedom struggle of 1857, jan andolan, cultural and social awareness, freedom struggle, fight against foreign invaders, swadeshi movement and satyagraha and India’s Independence, Constitution and integration of princely states,” a Delhi municipal corporation official said.

“Visitors will enter from the left end of the park, walk along the channels that will be arranged as per ancient, medieval and modern India and exit from the right end to witness the entire journey.”

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena had laid the foundation stone of the project in July last year.

The project was earlier stuck due to lack of clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India due to the park’s proximity to Kotla monuments. However, an MCD spokesperson said that the matter has been resolved and necessary clearances have been obtained.