NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal inspected the 800-metre-long model stretch of the redeveloped BRT road at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg on Saturday. He said that feedback on this model stretch would be taken from people and the project replicated on 540km of road length by Public Works Department (PWD). The department manages 1,280 km of arterial roads in Delhi, out of which 540km-long roads that are wider than 100ft will be redesigned and beautified. The project to beautify arterial roads of Delhi has seen several hurdles and delays.
Under pilot project, beautification work on the stretch between Chirag Dilli and Sheikh Sarai has been completed. The stretch has been redeveloped on the lines of the design pattern of the T-3 approach road. Besides other amenities and features like bicycle lanes, footpaths, plantations, selfie points, parklets and artwork, statues of freedom fighters and artifacts of historical heritage have also been placed on the roadside.
Kejriwal said that Delhi’s roads were being redesigned and made better. He asked the people to give their feedback on the project. PWD minister Satyendar Jain, MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and senior officials were present during the inspection.
The CM said, “The 800m-long stretch is part of the pilot stage of the project. We have thoroughly inspected the entire pilot stretch and will discuss its shortcomings and strengths. We will work on the next projects accordingly and begin with phase one of redesigning 540 kilometres of roads.”
He stated that the road standards would be increased to provide the highest quality of public spaces to Delhiites. People should also come forward with their suggestions, he urged.
“Statues of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Rani Laxmi Bai have been installed to celebrate India's freedom struggle. Two fountains, artwork on foot overbridge, ten sandstone benches, a Buddha statue, information boards and sandstone artwork, among others, have been incorporated in the pilot project. A cycle track and footpath have also been developed on one side of the road. Sufficient space for planters has been provided,” said a PWD official.
The official stated that 11,000 litres irrigation tanks had been developed along the stretch to maintain the three-tier greenery and seating arrangements provided at regular intervals to make it pedestrian-friendly. PWD also plans to develop drinking water points and public toilets along the model stretch and areas have been earmarked for kiosks and street vendor zones.
Chief minister Kejriwal had visited another sample stretch at Nehru Nagar on April 6.
