Another round of expense on roundabout near Gandhi Setu

The small fountain inside the roundabout is going to be replaced with a specially ordered huge bronze fountain,which alone will cost over Rs 2.5 crore. The fountain will be installed on a platform 1.6 metre high.

The platform and the surrounding walking tracks will be covered with granite. Stone benches would be put up at the roundabout.

The PWD has dug up the existing granite flooring to facilitate the necessary changes. The granite had been laid on platforms and the walkway in July 2009. Now fresh granite has been brought to replace these.

The PWD Engineer-in-Chief,T Ram,said: “For the new fountain,the platform base had to be changed and hence the granite flooring had to be removed.”

“Earlier,the inside of the roundabout was landscaped. But it was neither very impressive,nor visible from outside due to the boundary wall. While redesigning the roundabout,the height of the platform was raised to ensure visibility,” said an engineer.

“There is no deadline to complete the roundabout,but we have been directed to finish it at the earliest,” he said.

Build,demolish,rebuild

* A year after the revamp of Parivartan Chowk in Hazratganj at a cost of Rs 1 crore,the site was “repaired” by the PWD in September 2009 at a cost of Rs 39 lakh. The PWD re-laid portions of the floor with Chunar stones,replacing the Bansi Pahadpur stones used only a year ago.

* The granite floor of Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal in Gomti Nagar was dug up in March 2009 to facilitate the construction of pillars so canopies could be erected over the statues of Mayawati,Kanshiram,Bhimrao Ambedkar and Ramabai Ambedkar.

* Also at Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal,Mayawati unveiled the statues on April 14,2008. Soon after,Mayawati’s 15-feet statue was replaced because it was shorter than that of her mentor Kanshiram.

* The boundary walls of the Ambedkar Memorial in Gomti Nagar and Kanshiram Memorial at VIP Road,all made of stone,have been demolished and constructed three times in the last two years. Similarly,road dividers and pedestals on the Gomti embankment near the Ambedkar Memorial were demolished and rebuilt.

* Over 400 plants were uprooted from the Gomti embankment near Ambedkar Memorial to make walkways paved with stone in September 2009. The saplings had been planted in July 2009.