G20 installations GONE! Thieves strike Bharat Mandapam, Lutyens’ Delhi to steal expensive beautification equipment

India successfully hosted the G20 summit in the month of September. It was grandly planned and executed and had delegates from different parts of the world. PM Modi was widely praised for the success of G20 summit.

Soon after the G20 Summit in the national capital was over, incidents of thefts and damage were reported. Items that were installed throughout the venue for beautification of the colossal two-day event were stolen and damaged.

Police reportedly received complaints about missing flower pots, rubber nozzles, and damaged wires and broken lights in Delhi. Items were stolen and damaged chiefly in the New Delhi district area.

Multiple agencies worked round the clock ensuring smooth functioning for the 40 heads of state and several dignitaries as the G20 summit event ran over two days from September 7 to 10.

Statues, fountains, lights and similar other expensive equipments were installed by the Public Works Department and New Delhi Municipal Corporation which was a part of the beautification of Bharat Mandapam and Lutyens’ Delhi.

The Indian Express reported that a number of decorative pots were stolen which were lined up at ITO and Rajghat. It was also reported that while some were stolen, many others were damaged or spilled on the road.

Multiple lights near the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Sarai Kale Khan flyover were reportedly damaged. An officer said that they were not sure if these incidents were intentional or accidental. PWD removed several pots from the New Delhi-South Delhi stretch and from Sarai Kale Khan-Noida stretch.

While a couple of street lights and decorative lights were stolen and/or damaged near Lodhi Road, Mathura Road and Ring Road, nozzles also went missing from Pragati Maidan.

Officers reported that in the North Delhi area street vendor and encroachments have camped again after being removed ahead of G20 Summit. Similar instances have been reported near Rajghat, India Gate, Turkman Gate, Kashmere Gate and the Red Fort. However, no FIRs were filed as the stolen items were relatively of low value.

The Delhi Traffic Police has also raised concerns over the overcrowding near the fountains which are located near India Gate, CP and other New Delhi areas. A traffic police official said that these kind of incidents affects the vehicular movement and also leads to damage/destruction of the property because of the huddling of people who also litter on the same spot.

People mostly gather around key stretches reportedly during evening and night hours. PWD had previously changed the fountain operation timings and had made it into two shifts instead on 24 hours.