PWD starts beautification of Delhi ahead of AI Impact Summit

New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) The Public Works Department has stepped up beautification and infrastructure drive in Delhi, ahead of the AI impact summit, officials said on Monday
    The international summit is scheduled from February 15 to 20, with Bharat Mandapam being the venue for the main inauguration summit on February 19, in addition to several bilateral meetings.
    As part of beautification and increasing greenery on roads and other areas, PWD will procure plants, including flowering and non-flowering, and a variety of shrubs, PWD officials said.
    Tenders for the works have been floated in this regard, they added.
    According to the plan, several species of plants, including Marigold jaffri orange/yellow, Cycas revoluta, Conocarpus, Areca palm, Araucaria cookie, etc., are being procured at Rs 28,54,283, they said.
    Last month, the Delhi government had instructed the PWD and other civic bodies to ensure that arrangements for the international event surpass the standards set during the G20 Summit.
    The action plan focuses on upkeep of roads, including fixing missing signage, filling potholes, fixing grilles, removing defacement on PWD roads and footpaths, improving and repairing central verges and removing dark spots.
    Officials said that during the summit, various heads of state, foreign delegates, the leadership of prominent international organisations and AI leaders, including CEOs of top AI companies, along with their families, are expected to visit Delhi.
    "In addition to horticulture work, PWD will also be fixing broken retro reflective signage boards and fixing new ones wherever required at the cost of Rs 66,58,728, which will improve navigation on roads for the public," another official added.
    PWD, which is the main road-owning agency in the national capital, has been given the areas around Bharat Mandapam, Hyderabad House, Vigyan Bhawan, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, all major five-star hotels and the Rajghat area, where pre-event activities and bilateral engagements will be done, they said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)