Agra to get dressed for Commonwealth Games

The ADA officials recently presented the plans to the the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister,Durga Shankar Mishra. All work has to be completed within four months.

As per plans,the arterial Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road will be recarpeted,trees will be planted on road sides and traffic posts of red sandstone will be built.

Street lights would be installed on the highways connecting Agra with New Delhi,Gwalior,Aligarh and Jaipur.

“The Delhi-Agra National Highway (NH2) was developed 25 years ago,but so far,no streetlight has been installed on it,” said Tanvir Zafar Ali,vice-chairman,ADA. “We are going erect advanced and attractive street lights on the 12-km stretch of the highway that runs through Agra.” Similar lights will be erected on other highways connecting the city with Jaipur,Gwalior and Aligarh.

The ADA has also sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to develop a welcome gate on the Agra-Delhi Highway. This will be built of red sandstone and will stand 17 kms from the city center. A similar gate will be erected at the Agra Cantonment railway station — the main railway station which lies southwest of the Taj and Agra Fort.

The welcome gates will have display boards to inform tourists about the major destinations — Taj Mahal,Agra Fort,Fatehpur Sikri,Sikandra and Itimadud. Signages displaying similar information will be placed on all important routes.

The approach roads to these tourist spots will be widened and strengthened with help of municipal corporation.

“Initially we are taking up a 1.75-km stretch of the main approach road to Fatehpur Sikri. After dense carpeting,plantation will be done,drains will be constructed and railings will be erected on the roadside,” said the vice-chairman.

Moreover,LED lights will be installed to illuminate the statues of eminent personalities including Avanti Bai,Lal Bahadur Shastri,Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar,Ashfaaq Ullah Khan and Swami Vivekananda — located at Pratap Pura Chauraha,Circuit House,Ambedkar Park and Soor Sadan.

Each set of LED costing Rs 10 lakh will generate coloured light that will keep changing.

An ADA official said 14 bus shelters will also be built on Public-Private-Partnership model on various routes.