Capital makeover for BRICS Summit: Floral displays, food festivals, performan

Three years after the Capital’s streets were given a makeover for the G20 Summit, Lutyens’ Delhi is getting another facelift — this time ahead of the BRICS Summit on September 12-13.

“We have been preparing for this for a while. The face of the city is soon going to change after our team’s extensive efforts to give the NDMC areas a facelift,” said New Delhi Municipal Council chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.

The BRICS Summit is being hosted at the Bharat Mandapam in Central Delhi. While roads and roundabouts remain at the heart of the beautification plan, the city will see landscaping, floral displays, fountains, murals, food festivals and performances.

Forty-one major roads have been identified and divided into 14 circles, with a dedicated nodal officer assigned to each. “The officers and their field teams will conduct daily inspections, overseeing cleaning, beautification and other civic arrangements on the stretches under their watch,” Dwivedi said.

From these roads, the makeover will fan out into the roundabouts and public space. According to officials, 15 locations have been identified for floral boards, nine for flower fountains, and 17 roundabouts for special beautification and landscaping.

The areas for parking vehicles will also be spruced up, while the roads and surrounding areas will be closely monitored, the officials said. “The areas around the 10 hotels where BRICS delegates will stay are also being given special attention,” Dwivedi said.

Also in focus are the India-Africa Friendship Rose Garden, planted in 2015, and the BRICS Friendship Rose Garden, inaugurated in 2016 when India hosted the summit. Beyond the landscaping, the city will also carry “visual imprint” of the BRICS Summit, officials said.

According to officials, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has given NDMC inputs on the “creatives” to be installed around the city. These include ideas for giving the BRICS logo a more prominent visual treatment, additional floral boards, and boards carrying photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The MEA has given (ideas for) creatives like beautifying the BRICS logo, more floral boards, and installation of boards with pictures of the Prime Minister. They have also asked us to support the events that will be held as part of the Summit programme,” Dwivedi said.

Bringing the BRICS Summit into the city’s public spaces, a food festival, mural paintings, and performances by artists from BRICS member countries are among the events being planned.

“The Talkatora Garden amphitheatre will host artists’ performances, while murals will be painted in the National Museum area. Artists from all member countries will have a platform to showcase their talent.

The food festival will have a variety of cuisine which can be enjoyed by the public,” Dwivedi said. A 12-member core team, supported by around 200 additional staff, has been formed to maintain venues and assist the MEA during the events.

With the Monsoon rains still a concern, Dwivedi said: “We have ensured that additional sets of pumps are ready to drain out any waterlogging as quickly as possible. Desilting is ongoing in several drains in the area”.z