New Delhi: The national capital Delhi is ready to host the 18th G20 summit over this weekend (September 9 and 10), as part of the rotating presidency that India currently holds. The city will welcome more than 25 heads of state and global institution leaders. For the past few weeks, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been working tirelessly to enhance the infrastructure, public services, and the overall appeal of the city during the G20 summit. This includes a focused effort on maintaining cleanliness and beautifying the city.
Key Initiatives Undertaken For Delhi’s Makeover:
Cleaning And Beautification Of Roads: The MCD is utilising multipurpose vehicles equipped with smog guns to clean footpaths and side channels. Water sprinklers are also being used to keep roads clean and dust-free. The civic body has deployed suction cum jetting machines on 35 most prominent roads for scrubbing, cleaning and washing of roads and footpaths.
Roadsides, flyovers and roundabouts near the summit venues, hotels and other areas with a high footfall of G20-related visitors, have been adorned with street art and wall paintings.
Indian classical dance postures depicted in wall paintings below the Mayur Vihar flyover in East Delhi
Waste Removal: 11,200-11,300 garbage vulnerable points (where waste is dumped regularly) were identified and cleaned. Those spots are now being beautified, informed Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi during a press conference. 1651.5 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste has been cleared.
Waste Management: To promote segregated waste disposal, decorative dustbins have been placed near high-traffic areas such as Buddha Jayanti Park Gate and bus stops, for dry and wet waste. Twin-bins are also stationed at high footfall areas.
Also Read: The Human And Health Cost Of Delhi’s Garbage Mountains And Waste Crisis
Sanitation: One new public toilet has been constructed opposite the Supreme Court and one toilet near the Supreme Court Metro Station on Mathura Road has been renovated for the convenience of the public. Two new public toilets have been constructed at Dhaula Kuan. Seven Toilet Blocks around Rajghat /Delhi Gate/ Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg/ Nizamuddin/ Humayun’s Tomb area have been renovated. Along with this, anti-larval spraying is being conducted in all 250 wards to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
Removal Of Posters: Posters and graffiti have been removed from poles, walls, and other public structures. As per the official press releases, 3,254 numbers of posters defacing the city have been taken down. This is to restore the aesthetic appeal of the area and maintain a clean and visually pleasing environment.
Tree Plantation: Central government agencies and the Delhi government have planted 6.75 lakh flowering and foliage plants to beautify and decorate the city, officials said. Of the nearly 7 lakh plants, the forest department and the Delhi Parks and Garden Society have planted 3.75 lakh, the New Delhi Municipal Council has planted 1 lakh and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has placed 50,000 pots.
Also Read: Delhi Planted Over 30 Lakh Saplings Ahead Of G20 Summit: Environment Minister Gopal Rai
G20-themed Park: New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) in collaboration with 25 artists from Lalit Kala Akademy has converted a park named after former Vietnamese president Ho Chi Min into a ‘Waste to Art’ Park in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Artists have used junk metal to create sculptures of national birds and animals of G20 nations. 22 animal and bird sculptures including the American bison, also called the American buffalo, India’s dancing peacock, Korean Magpie from South Korea and Red Crowned Crane from China are on display.
India’s dancing peacock welcomes visitors to the Waste to Art park in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Taking to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote, “In the last few weeks, Delhi’s MLAs, councilors and sweepers have worked hard to make Delhi shine. Engineers and employees of PWD, MCD and other departments have also worked hard. This cleanliness should not be only for the G-20. Going forward, we have to keep Delhi clean like this always.”
पिछले कुछ हफ़्तों में दिल्ली के विधायकों, पार्षदों और सफ़ाई कर्मियों ने खूब मेहनत करके दिल्ली को चमका दिया है। PWD, MCD एवं अन्य विभागों के इंजीनियर्स और कर्मचारियों ने भी खूब मेहनत की है। ये सफ़ाई केवल G-20 के लिए ही नहीं होनी चाहिए। अब हमें हमेशा दिल्ली को ऐसे ही साफ़ रखना है https://t.co/QRVQmPwe0j
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 29, 2023
Also Read: Delhi’s ‘Waste-To-Art’ Park Made From Scrap Metals, A Tribute To G20 Nations
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
