To cater to weekend crowds, Kartavya Path to get more vending zones and walkways

According to a CPWD official, additions to facilities along the stretch are being planned in view of the high footfall.

Kartavya Path, India Gate weekend crowds, Kartavya Path vending zones, Central Public Works Department, CPWD officials, Indian Gate parking, Delhi Urban Arts Commission, indian express, indian express news

The DUAC gave the CPWD approval for additional pavements and benches around India Gate and C-Hexagon Road, shifting the location of sidewalks on Rafi Ahmed Marg, vending kiosks, horticulture changes and additional dustbins. (express photo)

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To cater to the needs of visitors, whose numbers shoot up to even a lakh on weekends, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is planning to scale up public facilities at Kartavya Path, including parking, vending zones, walkways and benches.

According to a CPWD official, additions to facilities along the stretch are being planned in view of the high footfall.

While the CPWD is yet to float a tender for the project, it has got clearance from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) to go ahead with some of the proposed interventions. The DUAC in its meeting on June 1 observed, as per the minutes of the meeting, that the CPWD had submitted plans for “addition/alterations (vending plaza, additions around India Gate and C-Hexagon Road, Rafi Ahmed Marg, bollards, horticulture additions, etc.)”.

The redeveloped road and the lawns around India Gate had opened to the public in September last year after being closed for renovations as a part of the Central Vista revamp. Since the area was opened, Delhi Police barricades had been placed along the sides and in between sections. Before the redevelopment, street vendors used to line the stretch from India Gate. After the revamp, vendors were assigned six designated vending zones.

“At the outset, the commission complimented the architect/proponent for envisaging the additions to the extent that yellow barricades put up all over the place for security considerations are being thoughtfully removed,” the DUAC observed. It said that the project’s architect had informed the DUAC that the number of visitors to Kartavya Path can go above 1 lakh on weekends.

“The necessity arises to augment the existing facilities considering higher footfall including additional vending plazas, additional walkways and pavements, benches, railing around shrub beds, fencing and sliding gates, bollards on perpendicular streets, horticulture additions, external development elements, panel coverings, additional dustbins, and security booths etc,” the DUAC minutes said.