Traffic arrangements in place today for G20 excursion of foreign delegates

Virender Singh Sangwan, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said traffic personnel will be deployed on the stretch from 7am to 6pm to ensure that delegates have an uninterrupted drive. “There will be no diversion or restrictions on any road. Being a Saturday, we expect vehicular movement to be less,” he said

At least 1,500 police personnel, including 200 traffic personnel, will be deployed on the National Highway-48 (NH-48) and other key stretches leading to Sultanpur National Park and Partapgarh Farms in Jhajjar on Saturday ahead of an excursion of G20 delegates to these places.

Gurugram, India-February 18, 2023: G20 logo installed at Delhi-Gurugram expressway near Ambience Mall, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 18 February 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan times)(Pic to go with Leena Dhankar's story)

District officials said the meeting of the anti-corruption working group of G20 countries concluded at Leela Hotel in Gurugram on Friday and at least 100 foreign delegates from 39 counties, who are in the city for the meeting, will be taken on a trip to Sultanpur park and the Pratapgarh Farms on Saturday. The road from Leela Hotel to Sultanpur park has been re-carpeted and beautified to ensure that the delegates have a pleasant journey, officials said.

Virender Singh Sangwan, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said traffic personnel will be deployed on the stretch from 7am to 6pm to ensure that delegates have an uninterrupted drive. “There will be no diversion or restrictions on any road. Being a Saturday, we expect vehicular movement to be less,” he said.

Sangwan said delegates will be taken through Hero Honda Chowk- Basai Chowk- Dhankot- Chandu towards Sultanpur National Park. “We have deployed 20 police personnel at each spot to manage the traffic situation. Other routes connecting to Sultanpur will also be monitored by the traffic teams and these include Dwarka Expressway and Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway,” he said.

Gurugram deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav said besides the main route, even roads that have been earmarked as alternative routes for taking the delegates to Sultanpur and Jhajjar were repaired and beautified. “Elaborate traffic arrangements have been made so that the vehicles ferrying G20 delegates get free passage and are able to execute a smooth journey. It is expected that the delegates will be taken by bus and it will take at least 30 minutes to reach the spot (Sultanpur park),” he said.

Yadav said delegates will reach Sultanpur by 9 am and will be welcomed by school students. They will be presented rosebuds and a park hat/badge as welcome gifts. “A senior forest officer will do a briefing about the park and delegates will be served tea and snacks. They will be taken to the exhibition gallery on the premises and interpretation will be done for half an hour. A planation drive has been planned for them and they will be taken inside the park in golf carts for the planation drive,” he said.

Officials said they have also set up a ”tree grove selfie point” for delegates.

Yadav said the delegates will be served soft drinks and juices at the planation site. “They will be taken around for an hour for bird watching. They will be given small token souvenirs of the park and then taken to Jhajjar,” he said.

The delegates said they are excited about the excursion on Saturday and are looking forward to bird watching at Sultanpur park.

Urs Andreas of Switzerland said he is very pleased to be part of the conference. “I am very excited about the excursion and we are told that we will be taken for bird watching and some village experience. This is my first visit to India and I have a lot to share with my family back home,” he said.

Laura Paavola of Australia complimented the team for organising an exemplary event. She said apart from the conference and meetings, she enjoyed the gala dinner and the folk dance by Haryanavi artistes. “I loved the Haryanavi cuisine and sweets that were served to us. The excursion is another programme I’m looking forward to as I’m excited about taking part in bird watching at the park.” Paavola said.