Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Central Vista Avenue, stretching from the Vijay Chowk to the India Gate, in New Delhi on Thursday, September 8. The inauguration ceremony is expected to start at 7 pm today. The Central Vista Avenue is considered to be the most popular public space in the city, which is used for Republic Day parade and other ceremonial functions.
The avenue has been designed using exemplary urban planning instruments such as a strong axis, an emphasised focal point, formation of important nodes, and a definitive termination point.
The government announced the plan to redevelop the Central Vista in September 2019. The total cost of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project has been estimated to be around Rs 13,450 crore. The project aims at creating a new Parliament building, houses for the vice president and prime minister, modern office spaces for ministries and departments, redeveloping the avenue, and upgrading the infrastructure.
Here's a look at some of the features of the Central Vista avenue.
The Central Vista Avenue is part of the first phase of the construction of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which began in February 2021. The new Parliament building is also part of the first phase.
The avenue has been redeveloped with red granite walkways spreading around 1.1 lakh square metre. The walkways will be adorned with over 133 light poles along the Rajpath, which has been renamed Kartavya Path. It will also have 4,087 trees, 114 modern signages and stepped gardens.
The revamped avenue will have lawns on either side of Kartavya Path, stretching around 101 acres.
There will be storm water drains to prevent waterlogging. The existing canals along both sides of Kartavya Path will now have aerators.
There will be eight new amenity blocks with new signages in the revamped space. These will include 64 female toilets, 32 male toilets and 10 accessible toilets for the differently-abled. Drinking water facilities have also been provided.
To maintain the character of the space, these blocks have been built below ground level.
Two blocks near the India Gate plaza will have vending kiosks.
Also read: Central Vista set to welcome visitors — State-wise food stalls, revamped walkways and parking lots
The avenue will have bays for parking 1,117 cars and 35 buses. There will be designated areas for app-based taxis and auto rickshaws.
As part of the new look, storm-water pipes and power cables have been moved underground.
The avenue will be adorned with more than 4,000 different trees. Under the plan, the original jamun trees have been preserved, Hindustan Times quoted officials as saying.
