The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has turned its Disaster Management Centre, which has been so far used for training and meetings, into its dedicated G20 Control Room. Twelve senior officers at the head-of-department level have been appointed as nodal officers to facilitate coordination among various NDMC departments during the Summit. The centre will coordinate with external agencies such as the Delhi Police, Traffic Police, and CPWD from September 4 to 10 to ensure that everything is spick and span during the event. A team of officers will also work in four shifts, round the clock, to ensure the smooth functioning of civic services in the New Delhi area. The control room will be overseen by three senior officers, NDMC chairman Amit Yadav said in a statement. According to NDMC vice-chairperson Satish Upadhyay, “One nodal officer from each department will be stationed at the control room at night to ensure swift response to any overnight issues. This will include nodal officers from departments like Civil-I, Horticulture, Public Health, Enforcement, Electrical Engineering, Transport, Fire, and Security.” On Friday, Upadhyay said that the command and control centre at Nagar Palika Kendra on Sansad Marg will also be utilised to ensure higher vigilance during the G20 meet. Constructed in 2010, the Disaster Management Centre is a single-storey semi-permanent structure that spans an area of 3,771 sqm, with a built-up area of 502 sqm. It is equipped with a conference hall that can accommodate 80 people. It also has a dedicated control room, spacious officers’ rooms, restrooms, a pantry, a storage area, and toilets. G20 park to open today On Monday, the NDMC will throw open its G20 park in Chanakyapuri to the public. It will be inaugurated by L-G VK Saxena. In December 2022, the NDMC announced its plans to create a park displaying sculptures of animals and birds from the G20 nations. The sculptures have been crafted out of scrap metal to promote the concept of waste to art. A total of 19 art installations have been crafted by 25 Lalit Kala Academy artists from all across India. The animals portrayed include Bison (national mammal of USA), Jaguar (Brazil), Red-crowned crane (China), Arabian Camel (Saudi Arabia), Magpie (South Korea), Rooster (France), Redwing (Turkey), Sparrow (Italy), Emu (Australia), and Peacock (India), among others.
