The Center celebrated bhoomi poojan Thursday for laying the foundation stone for the remodeled and restructured Central Vista Avenue, the next phase of the Vista Central redevelopment plan.
The Central Vista Avenue bhoomi poojan ceremony was conducted by Union Housing Minister Hardeep Puri in the presence of Housing Ministry Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, CPWD CEO and senior ministry officials at India Gate, New Delhi .
“With this ceremony, work has begun for the development / remodeling of Central Vista Avenue. The 3 km long Central Vista Avenue stretches from the North & South Block to India Gate, and includes Rajpath, its adjacent lawns and canals, tree lines, Vijay Chowk and India Gate Square. This was originally designed to be a grand processional path to the Viceroy’s House during the British Raj. It was appropriated by the people of India and their government during Independence, ”the ministry said Thursday.
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The remodeling of the avenue, which includes Rajpath, which runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Gateway of India, will involve the restructuring of the avenue, the creation of underpasses, the landscaping of the green areas and the maintenance and integral operation of the same for five years.
The first phase of the remodeling of Central Vista Avenue at an estimated cost of ₹502 crore will include lawn renovation and landscaping; the entre has proposed that the green coverage be increased from 350,000 m2 to about 390,000 m2. It will also include public services with restrooms, drinking water facilities and vending areas that are being provided in 10 places for visitors and tourists.
It will also include underpasses at Janpath and the C-Hexagon junction with Rajpath.
“Grasswalks and low-level bridges over canals are being provided to ensure better connectivity with parking and utilities in 12 suitable locations. The canals are being renovated with adequate lining and aerators are being provided to keep the water clean, ”the ministry said.
It will also include parking spaces and folding seating arrangements “to reduce the time required for the installation and removal of the temporary seating arrangement during Republic Day celebrations.”
“The government approved a proposal for the development of Central Vista Avenue with an estimated cost of ₹Rs 608 million on Nov 10, 2020. Necessary permits have been obtained from Delhi Urban Art Commission, Heritage Conservation Committee, Central View Committee, local bodies, etc. ”Said the ministry.
HT on January 6 had reported that the Shapoorji Pallonji Group emerged on Wednesday as the lowest bidder for the Center’s tender for the remodeling and restructuring of Central Vista Avenue after a financial offer of ₹477 million rupees, almost 5% less than the estimated cost of the project set at ₹502 crore.
This will be the second phase of the remodel after Tata Projects Limited was tasked with building the new Parliament complex on September 29, 2020.
The Central Department of Public Works, the nodal agency for the redevelopment project, reviewed the estimated cost for the ₹463 crore to ₹502 million rupees in a modified bidding document published in November. This, ₹372.9 crore are used for civil works and horticulture, ₹113.7 crore for electrical and mechanical work and ₹15.51 million rupees for operation and maintenance, all over a five-year period.
“Appropriate measures will be taken to mitigate environmental pollution during construction / modernization work with a focus on water conservation,” the ministry said.
The bidding for the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue also requires companies to hold it for five years after completion, and requires the project to be completed within 300 days. It will also be necessary to work in sections to minimize the part of the avenue that is cordoned off at any given time.
“There were some modifications to Central Vista Avenue after independence; The landscape was altered, new rows of trees were added in the 1980s, a new highway, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai Marg, was built to improve north-south connectivity. Annual Republic Day (RDC) celebrations are held on this avenue every year. Other important functions … it has very high footprints. It is the most visited place and the most important tourist attraction in Delhi. However, it lacks public amenities like restrooms, pathways, designated vending areas, parking, adequate lighting, signage, etc. Its lawns and waterways are in exhausted condition as they were not planned for heavy public use and are now increasingly stressed. Republic Day arrangements take a long time and during that time most of the area becomes inaccessible to the public. The government has decided to address them by remodeling and improving the avenue, as part of the comprehensive transformation of Vista Central. The aim of the proposal is to make the Avenue an icon that truly fits New India. This will turn out to be one of the best Central Vista avenues in the world, ”he said.
“The design also provides space and facilities for vendors, ensures that national event arrangements cause minimal disruption, and ensures the integrity and continuity of Vista’s original design, geometries and architectural character,” he added.
The plan will also include the demolition of the buildings on both sides of the avenue that house the ministry’s offices to make the Central Secretariat: a set of 11 buildings that will house the 51 ministries of the central government.
In December, the Center opened technical bids for narrowing the bidding in five companies, HT reported on December 14.
The plan, which is run by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, involves having a new Parliament building in place by India’s 75th Independence Day in 2022, while the entire project, which includes the Construction of 11 administrative buildings to house all government ministries is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
