New Delhi: India will witness its next Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path instead of Rajpath as on Wednesday New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) passed a resolution to change the name of the historic stretch. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly-named revamped Kartavya Path – stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate on Thursday.
During his address from the Red Fort on August 15 this year, PM Modi stressed the abolition of symbols relating to the “colonial mindset”. The Rajpath will shed another colonial relic on September 8 when The Grand Canopy, which once had the statue of George V, will be fitted with a 28-feet idol of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, known for his defiance of the British authority in India.
The 3-kilometre roadway, built to serve as the administrative axis of the British Indian Empire, has now undergone two title changes over the period of a century. Let's have a look at the iconic stretch's history. In 1911, Emperor of India George V visited Delhi and proclaimed his decision to shift the British Empire's administrative capital from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Delhi.
Built around 1920, the arterial road, going east to west, housed the Viceroy's residence, called the Viceregal Palace, and offered a panoramic view of the city. It was named in honour of the Emperor of India George V. The title was akin to the Kingsway in London – a ceremonial boulevard built to honour George V’s father, Edward VII, in 1905. Following India's independence, the road was given its Hindi name of ‘Rajpath’ in place of its English designation.
Revamped Kartavya Path
The renovated Cental Vista Avenue (CVA) extending for 2 km had retained the original 74 historic light poles. "All related chain links have been restored, upgraded and reinstalled on site. We have also installed 900 new light poles wherever necessary to ensure that the space is always safe for visitors," an official said from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
He said that concrete bollards have been replaced with thousands of white sandstone bollards to maintain the precinct's historical character, while 16.5 km of pedestrian walkways have been added along the Rajpath and at the India Gate precinct and 19 acres of total canal area have been renovated.
Green cover
"The CVA also boasts of 101 acres of lawns which have been replanted with different species of grass, appropriate to the location. Proper slopes and drain channels have been integrated to minimise the damage caused by stagnant water. Original jamun trees have been preserved. Apart from this, all existing trees have been surveyed and catalogued by the Ministry," the official said.
New amenities
The official revealed that eight amenity blocks with toilets, vending kiosks, and drinking water fountains have been added at eight distinct locations along the avenue. A total of 64 female toilets, 32 male toilets, and 10 accessible toilets have been added. As many as 7 organized vending plazas have also been added at different locations, he said. The official said that 4 new pedestrian underpasses have been built at busy junctions to segregate vehicular traffic from pedestrian movement, making the street safe for pedestrians to cross.
The redevelopment of the CVA started in January last year with a proposed timeline of November 2021 to complete the project. "The Covid19 pandemic threw spanners on the construction pace. However, we did not halt the project. Here we are now ready for the inauguration," the official said.
The renovation of the CVA is part of the envisaged redevelopment project. The renovation was carried out at a cost of Rs 477 crore. The redevelopment project also includes construction of a new Parliament building at an estimated costs of Rs 862.
