If New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) goes ahead with it plan, Delhiites would soon throng the lush green parks in New Delhi area in the evening to entertain themselves watching the multi-hued cultural images of the city and movies on innovative water screens.
From animated movies for children to short films on Delhi’s cultural heritage, NDMC will have something or the other to offer to its visitors to the parks. In a bid to promote its parks, the civic body has decided to keep the parks open till late night. It will also install lights at all footpaths and pathways.A water screen is a high-resolution rear-projection screen created entirely on a cascade of free-falling water. The civic agency has proposed to install its first ‘water screen’ at Talkatora Garden, where movies would be screened only in the evening. The show will be ticketed.
“We have planned to install a water screen at Talkatora garden and have received proposals from several interested parties for the same. It is going to be a big attraction for children. This is a technology which has been very remotely adopted in India. I guess, it is going to be the first one in Delhi,” said Jalaj Shrivastava, Chairperson, NDMC. Water screen shows are a major tourist attraction in countries like China, Singapore and the US.
In addition to this, the council has also decided to extend the closing time at three of its most frequented parks - Nehru Park, Talkatora Garden and lodhi Garden. With this, city dwellers would be able to take a post-dinner stroll in these parks as they are set to remain open till 11 pm during summers. In winters, they shall remain open till 10 pm as against the current closing time of 6 pm. The present closing time during summers is 7 pm. “In a place like lutyens’ Delhi, people have to hit the streets to take a stroll in the evening. There are scores of people who prefer to walk or jog or just be at a peaceful place after dinner, but can’t. Hence, we have decided to keep three parks open till late night,” said Shrivastava.
To realise this aim, various departments in the NDMC have been directed to upgrade the parks. The agency will deploy extra security guards in the three gardens and has asked its Chief Security Officer to make the necessary arrangements.“There are a lot of people who have been regularised recently under the muster roll system. We will utilise this excess manpower by training them and deploying them for security,” said an official.However, the chairperson has clearly directed its officials not to use floodlights or any bright light in these parks in order to keep the natural habitat intact.
“No kind of bright lights shall be permitted over trees as we do not want to disturb birds and other creatures inhabiting the area,” said Shrivastava.