Delhi: Plan to install 50-ft-tall Gandhi statue on Nelson Mandela Marg dropped

“The statue might dislodge or keel over when there is strong wind… it would have been a national shame… To avoid any such disaster, PWD officials had directed the contractors to consult the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi but a concrete solution could not be reached…,” said officials.

“The project has been dropped,” they added.

The statue, of Gandhi holding a stick, was to be similar to the one at the Gyarah Murti on Sardar Patel Marg. The head and torso were being created separately with reinforced fibre. The idea behind the project was to ensure the statue was visible even from a distance.

Meanwhile, officials said the rest of the beautification work was completed earlier — sidewalks and footpaths have been revamped, cycle tracks created, and plantation work has been done.

“We completed the civil work. Electrical work like installation of ornamental poles and decorative lamps was also done. We also created a small park with palm trees and several other plantations near the Vasant Kunj Mall area,” said another official.

The Nelson Mandela road connects parts of Munirka and goes towards Vasant Kunj and other parts of South Delhi.

A 500-metre-long stretch on the central verge of this road and nearly a kilometre-long pavement underwent a revamp as part of the ambitious streetscaping project of the Delhi government.

The estimated cost of redeveloping the stretch was Rs 19.16 crore.