India takes charge of the rotating presidency of the G20 summit on December 1 and will chair over 200 official meetings and an equal number of ‘engagement groups,’ in the coming year with its first meeting will be held on 23-25 February in Bengaluru, Karnataka. These meetings will be held across 55 locations in India. It will be noticeable to see the impact of this event on the infrastructure of India. Read SURFACES REPORTER (SR)’s special report on this:
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The recent G20 summit held in Bali marked the end of Indonesia’s presidency of the grouping and now India will hold the Presidency of the G20 summit for the first time in the country in 2023.
Before shedding light on its impact on our infrastructure, roads and economic growth, know what it is.
What is the G20 Summit?
G20 summit is basically the Group of Twenty (G20) is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 nations- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States and the European Union.
These all countries are members of G20 that represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The meeting happens to address global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, the worldwide economy and many more.
It is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating presidency and consists of two parallel tracks: the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track. Finance. The former one is led by the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the member countries, while the Sherpas of member countries, who are personal emissaries of the Leaders lead the latter one.
At this summit, India further enlisted global support for accelerating “the creation of next-generation infrastructure, which also includes digital infrastructure, and (ensuring) access to clean and affordable energy” through the Global Infrastructure Hub (GIH).
Impact of G20 Summit on India’s Roads and Transportation System
As Delhi is the major host city for the upcoming summit, the Lieutenant Governor said that it is an ‘unprecedented opportunity’ for the city to showcase itself to the world. He further stressed that it should be utilized to emerge as a city that is “forever clean and forever celebration.”
A major focus that according to NDMC will be given to the roads, travel and transportation, walkability, signage and flyovers.
Special emphasis should be given between Kartavya Path ( central vista), where most visiting delegates will travel, and the convention centre at Pragati Maidan. NDMC has started working on the upgradation of 12 major roads in Lutyens’ Delhi for the upcoming summit. Kerbs are also being painted afresh for
The government approved an amount of Rs 12.35 crore for the resurfacing of a dozen roads in the New Delhi area.
These roads include Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road, Red Cross Road, Sansad Marg, Udyan Marg, Mahadev Road, Bangla Sahib Road, Jantar Mantar Road, R K Ashram Marg, Raisina Road, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent Marg and old RK Ashram Marg.
Water logging is a big issue on Delhi roads during monsoon, foolproof and permanent measures will be taken to prevent it because 6-8 events will be held in September during the rainy season.
Sanitation, including waste management, cleaning of central and side verges of MCD roads and fast-tracking flattering of landfills, especially the Okhla site, was another key improvement area.
Transport minister Kailash Gahlot assured that all required steps will be taken to improve the transportation system. NDMC is planning to introduce double-decker and hop-on hop-off (HoHo) buses on roads.
Impact of G20 Summit on India’s Monuments and Heritage sites
Since India assumed the presidency of G20, around a hundred world heritage sites and centrally-protected monuments across the country were lit up during Dec 1-7. Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, Charminar in Telangana, and Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra were among these 100 sites. The Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI) drew up the list of monuments. The other temples or monuments included were the Nalanda ruins in Bihar, Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar, the Modhera Sun temple and the ancient Dholavira site in Gujarat, the Purana Qila complex and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, the Tipu Sultan Palace in Bengaluru, the Konark Sun temple in Puri and the Chola temple of Thanjavur.
Two of the five G20 Cultural Track meetings will be held in Agra, which is also home to heritage sites such as Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Out of 55 locations, Srinagar is also selected to hold meetings during India’s G20 presidency.
Apart from illuminating monuments, landscaping and beautifying iconic monuments and heritage sites will also be on the government’s agenda. There is also an arrangement for delegates to visit the markets, Iskon temple and Bangla Sahib Gurdwara.
Greenery all around Delhi
The public spaces, major intersections, flyovers etc in Delhi will be decked with more than 10 lakh exotic potted plants to add to its beauty. Further, sculptures and artefacts will be installed on the prominent roads and roundabouts, especially those in the NDMC area.
Delhi will host around eight events of the Summit in 2023, starting with the convening of the group's foreign ministers on March 1-2. The summit meeting among the heads of G20 countries will happen on September 9-10.
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