New Delhi:

In their quest to make the mega G20 Summit an unqualified success, authorities and people in Delhi are taking a series of usual and rather unusual steps. From decking up the national capital with nearly 7 lakh ornamental plants to hiring people who can make langur noises to scare away monkeys, no stone is being left unturned.

Expecting a visit by foreign delegates and the people accompanying them, shopkeepers and food stall owners in Chandni Chowk are also hiring translators. Some are asking their children, who know English, to be in the shop with them for a few days from September 8 so that the language barrier does not prove to be a barrier to business. The summit will be held on September 9 and 10. 

A Colourful, Flowery Look

Central government agencies and the Delhi government have planted 6.75 lakh flowering and foliage plants to beautify and decorate the city, officials said. A report by news agency PTI said different varieties of flowering plants and potted shrubs have been planted along roads and roundabouts, and near summit venues, hotels and other areas with a high footfall of G20-related visitors. 

Of the nearly 7 lakh plants, the forest department and the Delhi Parks and Garden Society have planted 3.75 lakh, the New Delhi Municipal Council has planted 1 lakh and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has placed 50,000 pots.

115-Foot Tricolour At Rajghat

Delhi Public Works Derpartment (PWD) Minister Atishi said on Wednesday that unique landscaping has been done at the Rajghat memorial complex, which is likely to see visits from several delegates during the G20 Summit, and a 115-foot Indian flag has also been installed at the site.

The minister said that it was a matter of pride for both Delhi and the country that the summit is being held in the national capital. “Preparations for the G20 Summit are in full swing across Delhi, with beautification efforts also underway. Today, I visited Rajghat, a location that many delegates and heads of countries will visit during the summit,” a PTI report quoted the minister as saying. 

“Over the past year, the stretch from Rajghat to Red Fort has undergone a stunning transformation led by the PWD. This area has been enhanced with features such as fountains, contemporary street art, open seating spaces, lighting and much more,” she said, adding that visiting Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, is always a priority for any foreign delegation coming to India.

“As such, the memorial has undergone unique landscaping. It has been adorned with greenery all around, a 115-foot Indian flag, lighting installations, and much more,” Ms Atishi said.

No Monkey Business

With the monkey population burgeoning in several parts of Delhi – including the Lutyens’ Delhi area – and several reports emerging of the animals attacking and biting people, authorities are taking steps to ensure that the simians don’t play spoilsport during the G20 Summit. 

“All the important sites, including the main venue of the summit – Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan – and hotels where foreign dignitaries and delegates will be staying are being covered to ensure the monkey hordes are not visible there during the event,” a government official told PTI. 

NDMC vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay said the civic body will also deploy 30-40 trained persons who can mimic the sounds of langurs to scare away the monkeys.

“These trained persons are registered with us and they have been hired as they are effective in scaring away monkeys by mimicking sounds made by langurs. We will deploy one such person at each hotel where the delegates will be staying, as well as in places where monkey sightings are reported,” he said.

The PTI report said over a dozen langur cutouts have also been placed strategically in areas, including Sardar Patel Marg, that have a high monkey population.

An official said monkeys have also damaged some plants and flowers that were part of the landscaping done for the G20 Summit. 

Sprucing Up Roads

Agencies have also been ensuring proper maintenance of the 61 roads that will be used by foreign dignitaries and delegates during the summit, and the work is being monitored by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Raj Niwas officials told PTI. 

About 15,000 metric tonnes of solid waste have been cleared from such roads and locations by different agencies. Over 100 sculptures and 150 fountains with different designs have been installed at various locations to give Delhi an aesthetic look, the officials said.

The PTI report said that, since July, Mr Saxena has held two dozen high-level meetings with officers, besides going on frequent visits to take stock of the preparations. 

Language No Bar

NDTV went to several shops in Chandni Chowk, which is likely to be visited by delegates and other people attending the G20 Summit, and found that shopkeepers are planning to hire English-speaking salespersons and translators from September 8 to make the buying process easy for the visitors.

Some are also roping in their children. The son and daughter of lehenga trader Suresh Seth will be at the shop during the summit. “I can understand English but I cannot speak the language fluently. I have asked my son and daughter to be here during the summit to help me converse with the visitors during the G20 Summit. Both of them can speak English well and my daughter also knows German,” said Mr Seth.

The owner of a food stall in the area is also hiring a translator for a week and has asked all his employees to welcome the visitors properly and make India proud. “We are hoping that we will see a spike in footfall,” he said. 

The Chamber of Trade and Industry indicates that 90% of shopkeepers in Chandni Chowk can only comfortably speak in Hindi.

Brajesh Goyal, president, Chamber of Trade and Industry, said, “Some shopkeepers have hired English translators and are also roping in guides who know French, Russian and Mandarin. Communication is a big challenge for them. Some have also asked their children, who can speak English well and are not involved in the business, to be at the shops for a few days.”

Commemorative Park

India’s presidency of the G20 has been commemorated in a municipal park in south Delhi with a giant logo of the grouping and flags of member nations mounted atop 20 decorative pillars installed in its lush gardens. The park is located in Greater Kailash and area MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the heads of state and other delegates who will come for the G20 Summit next month should remember the warmth extended by the city and its people.

A PTI report quoted Mr Bhardwaj as saying that many local residents have already started calling the park – which is located in front of the M Block Market in Greater Kailash-2 – the ‘G20 park’, even though that is not the formal name

The placement of the pillars in a semicircular arc behind the main G20 logo has been done in an open-arena fashion. “The 20 pillars, made of concrete mix with a wooden texture over them, bear a Gothic design, carrying a flag each on top. The idea was to create the look of a Greek amphitheatre,” a senior official in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) told PTI.

Planting The Seed

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has said that, keeping the G20 Summit in mind, the government has already met 69% of its yearly target for planting trees. Mr Rai said on Wednesday that 30.2 lakh saplings have been planted by 21 departments in various parts of the city.

“We are delighted to inform you that different departments undertook the work of planting trees on a war footing. In the last two months, through Van Mahotsav, we increased public awareness. 69% of the target has been fulfilled ahead of the G20 summit. These 21 departments have planted 30,20,356 saplings across the city,” news agency ANI quoted Mr Rai as saying.