New Delhi: Delhi has launched an extensive citywide makeover to present the capital at its best before visiting dignitaries of the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit, which is set to be held from May 28-31 at Bharat Mandapam.In a coordinated push by multiple civic and govt agencies, authorities have identified eight key road corridors, eight heritage and tourist destinations, and major hotel zones for beautification and upgrade.All agencies will have to complete their assigned tasks by May 15, after which the urban development department of Delhi will instruct SDMs to conduct on-ground inspections.The priority routes include NH-8 from Dhaula Kuan to Ring Road, Ring Road from Rajghat to Shanti Van, Mathura Road from Delhi Zoo to the Supreme Court, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, DDU Marg and JLN Marg — stretches expected to witness heavy movement during the summit.Agencies such as NDMC, PWD and MCD are working in coordination to upgrade civic infrastructure. The exercise includes replacing outdated event boards, advertisements of previous summits, repairing signs, restoring central verges and footpaths, installing road furniture, strengthening carriageways and carrying out large-scale beautification works.Delhi Police has been tasked with ensuring seamless traffic regulation and crowd management.Urban development minister Ashish Sood said the city cannot afford any lapses while hosting an event of such international significance. Roads connecting the airport, summit venue and hotels hosting dignitaries must be completely pothole-free, and any ongoing construction work should either be completed or properly concealed.Drawing lessons from previous events, Sood underlined that inter-agency coordination was critical and the preparations must surpass the G20 Summit. “Visual appeal and infrastructure define a city’s global image. Security, logistics and execution must be flawless,” he said.A high-level review meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta was held last week, attended by officials from the MCD, DDA, NDMC, Delhi Police and other departments.MCD has drawn up a sanitation and beautification strategy for roads, heritage sites, key markets and hotel zones. Round-the-clock sanitation services will be deployed in three shifts, supported by mechanical road sweepers, with strict instructions to eliminate open garbage dumps.Markets and heritage areas will undergo deep cleaning through jetting machines by May 22, while functional dustbins will be installed and dhalaos refurbished.Encroachment removal drives will be undertaken before the summit till May 24, and pigeon-feeding points will be removed. Authorised parkings in key markets will be checked and walls across key stretches will be adorned with murals.Existing summit branding on civic assets and twin dustbins will be replaced with India-Africa Forum Summit branding, while 15 dedicated display screens installed across markets will showcase summit visuals by May 20.MCD’s electrical department has been directed to repair and maintain streetlights, high masts, decorative lighting and art installations, particularly around Bharat Mandapam and Lodhi Flyover.Plans include installing a video wall near Bharat Mandapam, decorative illumination at Town Hall, Yamuna Marg and the SRDC entry point, along with welcome LED signage on the Ring Road side of Yamuna Marg. Further measures include removing illegal and faded signboards, clearing encroachments from flyovers, medians and underpasses, and launching anti-defacement drives before and during the summit. India-Africa flags and murals will be installed in accordance with MEA guidelines, while dedicated teams for stray dog and cattle control will remain deployed round the clock across summit-sensitive areas, said MCD officials.By May 15, central verge repairs, signage restoration, pothole filling, carriageway strengthening and horticulture work are to be completed. By May 20, road furniture installation, tree washing along the airport-Dhaula Kuan and Rajghat stretches, thermoplastic road marking, display panel installations and grill repairs must be finished. Flowering pots around Bharat Mandapam are scheduled to be installed by May 25.
