The unusual amount of rainfall this monsoon, coupled with flooding due to the high water table, did lead to some delays in the redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue , but with additional workers deployed now, the project was likely to be done in time for the Republic Day Parade preparations on Rajpath , Government officials said this week.
Preparations for the parade usually pick up in December, with temporary seating arrangements, sound systems and CCTV cameras, among other facilities, being installed along the way. The ongoing redevelopment project includes permanent solutions for utilities and amenities for the public that have been put up and taken down for the parade every year, according to the architect of the revamp, Bimal Patel.
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With about a month to go, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry officials stated that the revamped Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate would be ready by mid-December.
A senior official observed, “all efforts are on to complete” the project, including increasing the number of workers from 3,600 to 4,000. Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri visited the site on September 21 and later announced the addition of workers to make up for the delays caused by rains.
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Construction of underpasses
The official noted that the project included the challenge of construction of underpasses at a site where the water table was high, leading to flooding when the ground was dug up. The rainfall, which was the highest for a September in 77 years, also led to challenges for compacting the soil.
However, the officer asserted that the underpasses, eight amenity blocks, vending areas and around 10 km of walking paths would be ready before the parade.
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About 1.67 km of granite pathways had been completed, the officer pointed out. For the parade, 30,000 bleachers had been ordered. The canals along Rajpath would have recycled water, for which a sewage treatment plant (STP) was being constructed.
The project began in February after the CPWD awarded the contract to Shapoorji Pallonji & Company following a tendering process in 2020. The project was estimated to cost ₹608 crore, according to the CPWD.
