The Centre’s plan to set up the Nav Bharat Udyan (New India Garden) — a 30-acre campus of gardens, a museum and public spaces along the Yamuna behind the Purana Qila — is likely to kick off soon, according to sources.
Starting the project, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on November 24 floated a tender for Rs 35.08 crore for the first phase of the New India Garden.
The bidding would be open till December 9 and the successful bidder would have six months to complete the project, as per the CPWD tender document.
Proposed as a part of the 2019 Central Vista redevelopment plan, the garden will be located near the Pragati Maidan. The location is in a straight line from the Central Vista, the stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate, marking a notional extension of the Central Vista, as per the plan.
Phase one includes construction of minor bridges over the existing drain, internal roads, surface parking, laying of foundation and stone-base pedestal, water supply and drainage, walkways and boundary walls.
According to the CPWD’s plans, the garden will have various domes and walkways with themes including Tech Museum, Sphere of Unity, Milestones Walkway and Journey of India, while the entrance to the garden would be based on the Martand Temple. A “Growth Plaza” with 36 columns representing each state and Union Territory is also being planned.
An open air theatre for performing arts, along with a water feature depicting the Namami Gange Mission would be located on one side of the garden, as per the plan.
The garden would be part of the larger 118-hectare Amrut Biodiversity Park being developed by the Delhi Development Authority.
Apart from the recent tender, the CPWD has also started work on the Tech Museum, by seeking bids for planning and design of the museum on November 2. The tender document said the Tech Museum will be “a premiere exhibition space focusing on disseminating information on achievements of the nation using the latest technology.”
The document said the museum will provide the visitors a better understanding of the achievements of our nation in various fields through 3D mapping, touch-enabled displays, projections and holograms, as well as conventional exhibits.
