Central Vista: Smog towers, fly ash in concrete among steps mandated in tenders, says architect Bimal Patel

Preservation of topsoil, smog towers installation and use of fly ash in concrete are among the environment-friendly measures mandated in the tenders for the construction of buildings under the Central Vista project, said its master architect Bimal Patel.

He said the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has also been keeping a close watch on the projects from the environmental perspective. The entire project is designed to be energy efficient for improving the air quality in the long run, he said.

Confident of completing the new parliament building in time, Patel said contractors, clients and designers are all working hard towards achieving the goal of sticking to the committed timeline.

The new parliament building is scheduled to be completed before the winter session of 2022.

"Various measures have been mandated in the tender documents of the buildings being built as part of the Central Vista project to safeguard the environment during construction. These include preservation of topsoil, installation of smog towers and use of fly ash in concrete," Patel told PTI.

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Besides this, various steps are being taken to keep the environment clean while construction is going on and the CPWD is keeping a close watch, the master architect said. "Additionally, the entire project is designed to be energy efficient, to improve the air quality in the long run."

He said the new parliament building will provide the much-needed space for offices and larger seating capacities for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and the joint sessions, reducing stress on the present building.

"The proposed Central Secretariat consolidates all the 51 ministries of the Government of India in 11 buildings along the Rajpath and provides modern, efficient, and flexible workspaces with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities to improve productivity and efficiency of the administration," he said.

About the new executive enclave, Patel said the PMO will be part of this, and the other ministries will be part of the Common Central Secretariat.

A modern, secure, and appropriately equipped executive enclave is proposed to house executive offices and facilities for the Prime Minister's Office, the Cabinet Secretariat and the National Security Council Secretariat, he said.

The entire Central Vista project is presently scheduled for completion by 2026, Patel added.

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