New Delhi transforms as it prepares for G20 summit

As New Delhi prepares to host the 18th G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday, India’s national capital has undergone a dramatic transformation as it readies itself to receive leaders and delegates from more than 40 countries, including 20 from the member states.

Hundreds of workers of civic bodies and the Public Works Department (PWD) have spruced up the major roads and arteries and the colourful stretches of gardens that line both sides of the main arteries. The event is being held at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan.

Officials have started conducting ‘dry runs’ across the capital to ensure that the infrastructure put up in recent weeks ensures the success of the prestigious event. Additional CCTV cameras have been installed along the major arteries, adding to the over 120,000 existing ones operating in the city.

Civic teams have also been cleaning up the roads, tunnels, fountains, underpasses and other paths all along the route as hundreds of top leaders, officials from many countries start descending on Delhi along with their family members and officials.

P.K. Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been steering the G20 coordination committee meetings and reviewing the arrangements being made to mark one of the most important global events being held in Delhi.

With most government and private offices remaining closed over the long weekend from Friday, traffic in the capital is expected to be light, though VVIP movement with the high-security vehicles will restrict the normal flow. A Delhi Police spokesperson said that traffic restrictions will be enforced from Thursday night.

However, the national capital’s lifeline, the Delhi Metro, will function normally across most of the region. Gates of some of the metro stations will be closed for security reasons over the weekend, said a spokesperson. They include Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, R.K. Puram, IIT and Sadar Bazar cantonment stations.

Executives from many IT and related sectors in the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Gurgaon, Noida and Greater Noida, have decided to let their employees work from home over the weekend.

The festive atmosphere has already rolled across Delhi from the Airport road all the way to Pragati Maidan. While top government leaders will be arriving at the Palam Air Force station, their officials will be welcomed at the international airport. The roads from both these airports have been transformed in recent days, and are lit up brilliantly at night. G-20 themed lights, red carpets, large plants and welcome messages have been installed along the corridors. Many of the old street lights have been replaces with smart poles topped with LED bulbs. Fountains have also sprung up along the corridor.

Interestingly, national flags of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt are also seen across the city, along with the flags of other major nations. A special ‘G20 park’ is also hosting the UAE and other national flags.

It is for the first time that the G20 Summit is being held in India. The Pragati Maidan, which has been hosting several major meets over the past few decades, underwent a dramatic transformation with the government investing nearly Rs30 billion in transforming the complex, laid over 125 acres in the heart of the capital.

"This will be the biggest participation ever in the history of the G20 summit,” said the prime minster. The government also organised 200 meetings related to the event in 60 cities across the country over the past few months.

• Business