The project officials have indicated that the additions made to the old building over the years will be removed, while the offices will continue to operate from the building even after the new Parliament starts functioning.
Workers were observed putting the finishing touches on the project on Tuesday. According to sources familiar with the project, the new building is expected to be completed in about a month, possibly in time for the Monsoon Session in July.
One source mentioned that the “ad hoc additions” to the old building would be removed and the building would be “restored”. This, according to the source, will allow the building, which had become congested over the years, to “breathe”.
Another source stated that the old and new buildings would function as one complex. A Lok Sabha official confirmed that the offices would continue to operate from the old building. When asked about the future use of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers in the old building, HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd, the Central Public Works Department’s (CPWD) consultant for the project, referred the question to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which did not respond to a request for comment.
The construction of the new Parliament building began in January 2021 as part of the larger Central Vista redevelopment masterplan drawn up by HCP for CPWD. HCP stated in a written response that the project faced challenges, including a delay in starting construction and slowdowns due to the second wave of the pandemic.
The triangular plot where the building was constructed next to the heritage Parliament House did not leave much space for the movement of materials. HCP stated that this challenge was overcome with the help of Delhi Traffic Police.
HCP also mentioned in the written response that the new Parliament building is located on a plot that used to house parking and service infrastructure for the old Sansad Bhavan. The construction had to be carefully planned to ensure that these structures continued to serve their functions without interruptions.
HCP also mentioned the challenge of preserving trees on the periphery of the plot where the new building was constructed. Special foundations were used to construct parts of the utility buildings to avoid disturbing the trees’ root bowls.
The old Parliament building was constructed between 1921 and 1927, with two floors added in 1956. It had to be extensively modified to suit the purpose of a modern Parliament, according to the government’s official Central Vista website.
+ There are no comments
Add yours