Waste to art version of Jurassic park coming up in Delhi

MCD has developed three parks across the city based on the theme of waste to art, in which tonnes of metallic scrap was used to develop sculptures on various themes

A white ambassador car inside the belly of 14-feet-high Stegosaurus, a nest of velociraptors guarding their nest in an old metallic chemical tank and a giant 60-foot high diplodocus with an elongated neck that will serve as a slide for children will be some of the features at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s dinosaur theme park at Sarai Kale Khan which is expected to be opened by December end, senior civic officials said on Monday.

Dinosaur installation at the waste-to-art theme dinosaur park coming up in Delhi. MCD says it is expected to be opened by December end. (Sanjeev Verma/HT)

They said that the artists were giving final touches to 40 dinosaur sculptures made out of metallic scrap, claiming that the park will be “India’s first waste-to-art theme dinosaur park”. Eight artists and 60 workers are working on the project, they said.

MCD has developed three parks across the city based on the theme of waste to art, in which tonnes of metallic scrap was used to develop sculptures on various themes.

The 3.5-acre park is located next to the Waste to Wonder park at Sarai Kale Khan, the first waste-to-art theme facility in the city which has sculptures of the seven iconic buildings. MCD has so far developed three waste-to-art theme parks -- the Waste to Wonder park, Bharat Darshan Park featuring replicas of Indian monuments and Shaheedi Park at ITO which is designed as an open air museum featuring replicas and scenes from India’s freedom struggle.

Senior MCD officials associated with the project said that the facility is coming up at a cost of Rs13.72 crore.

The officials said that the park will be landscaped with trees, shrubs, grass and ornamental plants. It would have comfortable benches for the visitors, a connecting walkway to all the sculptures, garden huts and a food court. They said nearly 300 tonnes of metallic scrap will be used for creating the dinosaur sculptures. MCD also plans to run a toy train for children in the theme park, they said.

“Some installations will also have light, sound and interactive elements for children,” an official said.

Vinit Barot, an artist from Baroda who is working on the park, said they have used other forms of waste as well to create the exhibits. “The sculptures have been made using diverse material ranging from metallic scrap, construction and demolition waste, old tyres and garden waste. In many installations the skin texture has been made using rubber tyres. Some giant installations will have sound and light. The T-rex will be made to appear as if it is breathing fire,” Barot said.

He said that the dinosaurs features at the park include two Amargasaurus, a Tsintaosaurus, a pack of six Velociraptors, four Deinonychus, two Rajasaurus, one Spinosaurus, seven Prenocephale, one Diplodocus, three Stegosaurus, two Triceratops, seven Coelophysis, one Ankylosaurus, one Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.