G20 Summit: 450 banners bearing images of heritage sites in Delhi put up by MCD across city By Kunal Dutt

New Delhi: Nearly 450 large banners bearing images of Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Lotus Temple and other iconic heritage sites in Delhi have been put up across the city by the municipal corporation to welcome heads of state and other international guests who will arrive here for the G20 Summit. As part of a city beautification drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), new murals have also been painted on public walls depicting the cultural heritage of India, as well as the successful soft-landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. These large banners also bear the G20 logo, the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', 'One Earth. One Family.

One Future' with a welcome message, and have largely been put up on unipoles which usually carry advertisements. "We had decided to put up welcome banners in the city for the G20 Summit. As it is a landmark occasion for the country and Delhi is at its epicentre, we chose to showcase our built heritage. So, the banners depict monuments like Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, etc. Nearly 450 such banners have been put up across the city," a senior civic official told PTI. The MCD is divided into 12 zones, including Central Zone, South Zone, City-Sadar Paharganj, Najafgarh Zone, West Zone, Civil Lines Zone and North Shahdara Zone.

"These huge welcome banners have been put up in all parts of the city which come under our administration," he said. These thematic banners can be seen on roads like DDU Marg, Lodhi Road, Ring Road, areas near New Delhi railway station, and other prominent streets. Asked if posters have been put up in trans-Yamuna area too, the official said, "Yes, and also in streets in Najafgarh Zone." "Entire Delhi is welcoming the G20 guests, and MCD being the civic agency is proud to welcome them too," he added. Besides, colourful artworks depicting Indian cultural heritage have been painted on walls of many public conveniences, and lots of spaces meant for displaying advertisements have been used for G20 thematic posters. Murals themed on Chandrayaan-3 feat have come up on walls near Vinobapuri Metro station, and on the walls of a garbage dumpyard in Nizamuddin area. The colourful mural depicts a spacecraft over the Moon and a lander sitting on the lunar surface.

The G20 logo adorns a corner of the wall, and a makeshift tin-made gate of the dumpyard, has a streaming tagline -- 'India on the Moon'. Also, artistic sculptures made of scrap material have been installed at eight locations and 3,254 posters have been removed as part of the beautification drive being undertaken by the MCD ahead of the G20 Summit.

These artworks inlcude 'Sangeet Mandali', which depicts a group of artistes playing traditional instruments, installed at a roundabout at Mahipalpur. "A portion of the abandoned drain adjoining National Science Museum on Bhairon Marg was developed into a beautifully landscaped garden with artwork made of waste products," the MCD said. The MCD earlier said that 1651.5 MT of debris and construction and demolition waste had also been removed as part of the beautification drive.

The drain from Mathura Road to Ring Road up to the Yamuna river was desilted extensively in the last six months which took the discharge of the entire area abutting Pragati Maidan, officials said. A stretch of approximately 240 metres on Bhairon Marg opposite gates number 4 and 5 was beautified by stone pitching, and the surrounding area was landscaped with greening and plantation. A selfie point has also been created, they said. The civic body has undertaken a range of initiatives to ensure the success of the G20 Summit and to showcase the city's commitment to hosting such a significant gathering, the officials said.