India News | Delhi Decked Up with Nearly 7 Lakh Ornamental Plants, Say Officials

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) Delhi gets a colourful new look with nearly seven lakh flowering and foliage plants, ahead of the G20 Summit slated to be held next month, officials said.

Different varieties of flowering plants and potted shrubs have been planted along roads, roundabouts, near summit venues and hotels with high footfall of G20 related visitors, they said.

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Central government agencies and the Delhi government have planted 6.75 lakh plants to beautify and decorate the city, officials said.

Of these, 3.75 lakh plants (1.25 lakh foliage and 2.5 lakh flowering) have been planted by the forest department and the Delhi Parks and Garden Society. PWD has planted 50,000 (35,000 foliage and 15,000 flowering) DDA has placed 1 lakh (85,000 foliage and 15,000 flowering) and NDMC has planted 1 lakh pots and MCD has placed 50,000 pots, they said.

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The agencies have also been ensuring proper maintenance of the 61 roads that will be used by foreign dignitaries and delegates during the summit and are being monitored by Lt Governor VK Saxena, Raj Niwas officials said.

About 15,000 MT of solid waste has been cleared from such roads and locations by different agencies.

During his visits, the LG has ensured that statues, sculptures, artefacts, fountains, lights and green pots are in place, the officials said.

Over 100 sculptures and 150 fountains with different designs have been installed at identified locations to give Delhi an aesthetic look, they said.

Since July, Saxena has held two dozen high-level meetings with officers besides going on frequent visits to take stock of the preparations, they said.

The LG also constituted district level monitoring committees, with representatives of all stakeholder departments and headed by a senior IAS officer, to ensure that all work is completed in time, Raj Niwas officials said.

Five meetings of these committees have been held, where status reports with “before-after" pictures of the work done, and the way forward are presented, which is then reviewed by the LG, they said.

In his more than 50 inspection visits, each lasting on an average four hours, the LG has been reviewing on the ground repair, restoration, beautification around ISBT to Rajghat, Delhi Gate, ITO, ITPO-Pragati Maidan areas which houses the Bharat Mandapam (venue of G20 Summit), major parts of Lutyens' Delhi-India Gate, Khan Market, Malcha Marg, Akbar Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Dhaula Kuan to IGI Airport and Air Force Station, Palam Technical Area, they said.

Rajghat, which could have visits from delegates to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, has also been inspected by Saxena over a dozen times to see that all arrangements are in place, they said.

The ITPO area which is the venue for the summit has been decked up and Saxena has been regularly inspecting it since the city was inundated by floods in July this year, they added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)