Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) plan to build a clock tower near the Talkatora Stadium intersection has progressed. According to NDMC officials, Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) recently granted approval for the drawings and project plan.
“The location and design specifications will remain unaltered. We will proceed with preparing cost estimates for the project before presenting the proposal at the meeting. Soon after, work will be taken up on the project,” said an official. No reply was received from DUAC on this matter after repeated attempts.
Earlier, the NDMC got the soil of the proposed location tested for building the clock tower via a private agency at proposed site (Talkatora roundabout), and the soil was found suitable for building the clock tower structure. “Since building a clock tower in that part of the city will require amendments to the layout plan, NDMC sent this proposal to DUAC for approval last year. After seeking some specific details, including technical ones, about the Ghantaghar layout plan from NDMC, which were subsequently provided, the commission gave its consent,” said an official.
The proposed clock tower is to be built at a height of 40 feet and developed at the roundabout. It will have clocks all around and be designed in a manner to give a historical look. Red stones will be used for the outside of this clock tower, said officials earlier.
NDMC initiated a search for a suitable location to erect a clock tower following lieutenant governor VK Saxena’s inspection in April 2024. The Talkatora roundabout, situated at the NDMC boundary, was selected as an ideal site. Previously, the ‘New Delhi Town Hall’ featured a clock tower atop its headquarters, but the structure was demolished in the 1980s to make way for the present building.
“The old Town Hall was built in 1933, and it was inaugurated by the Viceroy Lord Willingdon. Thereafter, four giant bells were imported from Britain, and these were installed at the tower of the Town Hall. There were timekeepers deployed to ring the bells every hour since wristwatches were not that common. However, in the 1960s, these bells were replaced with modern clocks. The existing complex was constructed after demolishing the clock tower,” the official said.
Mayank Rawat
