Plan to install 500 high-mast Tricolours gets a Budget boost

The Public Works Department has floated a tender for the installation of 495 such Tricolours, as part of the Delhi government’s Deshbhakti budget.

The plan to install around 500 high-mast national flags across the city will cost Rs 84 crore now, instead of the initially proposed Rs 45 crore.

The Public Works Department has floated a tender for the installation of 495 such Tricolours, as part of the Delhi government’s Deshbhakti budget. In the budget announced in March, the government said there would be a focus on deshbhakti, which includes the deshbhakti curriculum in schools.

In the budget speech, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had called the Tricolour the “greatest symbol of our individual identity”. He said that high-mast flags, like the one in Connaught Place, will be installed in such a way that at least one is visible every 2 km. “All citizens of Delhi, when coming out from their homes even for short distances, will not return without sentiments of patriotism and national pride,” he said.

The 207-ft-tall Tricolour at Connaught Place was installed by the Flag Foundation of India, former Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal’s organisation, in 2014.

According to sources, five of these flags are expected to come up by August 15 in New Delhi, Patparganj, Shakurbasti, Kalkaji and Dwarka assembly constituencies.

As per the tender floated by PWD, the masts for the flags will be 35 metres (114 feet) tall. The base will be made of red and white sandstone. The Tricolour’s dimensions will be 36 feet by 24 feet.

Officials said that PWD is also conducting a survey of public places, parks, grounds, big commercial building complexes, big school premises, residential complexes to find appropriate locations to install the flags.

As part of the plan, LED lighting will also be installed along with the flag to keep illuminated. “LED flood light fittings shall be provided on top of 5 metre lighting poles with suitable bracket arrangement for focus lighting on the proposed mast flag,” says the tender document.

Lightning finials, which protects the structure from lightning, also have to be installed atop the flag mast for a direct conducting path.

The tender also states that work to install flags has to be executed without disrupting traffic. “The contractor will have to carefully plan his sequence of operations so that traffic moves unhindered at all times. The traffic diversion plan evolved by the contractor for execution of the work at all locations will require approval of Delhi Traffic Police and of the department,” it states.

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