Delhi to sport colourful look during CWG

Delhi will soon don a colourful look with Chief Minister directing concerned agencies to put up flags, hoardings and banners to celebrate the games.

New Delhi: The national capital will soon don a colourful look with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today directing concerned agencies to put up flags, hoardings and banners across the city to celebrate the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

At a high-level meeting, Dikshit told agencies like MCD, NDMC, NHAI, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Metro and Delhi Transport Corporation to put up flags, hoardings and banners as per design approved by the Organising Committee and give the city a pleasant look. The meeting, attended by all the ministers as well as top officials of various agencies, reviewed overall preparation for the mega event. It took stock of progress of work of various key infrastructure projects linked to the sporting extravaganza. “The chief minister directed the agencies to ensure a better look of the city ahead of the mega event,” an official who attended the meeting said.The private power distribution companies were instructed to paint their transformers and other visible installations while Railways was told to give a face lift to the four important stations -- New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar at the earliest. It has also been decided that DIMTS will take care of street lighting of BRT Road right from Ambedkar Nagar to Ambedkar Stadium. Dikshit was informed in the meeting that MCD has removed 21,774 metric tonne of construction wastes across the city in the last 12 days. The chief minister had set a deadline of August 10 to remove all construction wastes from various project sites. The meeting was also informed about progress of re-development works in Paharaganj and Karol Bagh where a large number of hotels and guest houses are located.The MTNL, which has been laying cables across the city, has been instructed to take care of restoration of roads after undertaking digging works. The DJB has also been asked to make arrangements to provide drinking water at all Games venues. Dikshit also directed Traffic Police to submit a comprehensive list of pedestrian crossings and bus bays by July 24 so that PWD could paint pedestrian crossings. Further the Traffic Police was told to improve the traffic poles which are in bad shape. The chief minister expressed her displeasure over lack of seriousness shown by Traffic Police in making required arrangements ahead of the Games. She was particularly unhappy with the agency for deputing junior level officers to represent the high-level weekly review meetings. PTI