Agra to get facelift before Games

AGRA - The city of Taj is set to get a new look ahead of the Commonwealth Games in October during which around one million tourists are expected to visit the Mughal era wonder.

The Agra Development Authority (ADA) and the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Tourism department have drawn up ambitious programmes to renovate the city and upgrade civic amenities.

According to Avinash Mishra, deputy director UP Tourism, Agra will be top of the priority list of visitors and hence several projects worth Rs.50 crore would be executed in and around Agra.

ADA Vice Chairman Tanvir Ali said the tourists must feel they are visiting a heritage city and hence work on a dozen beautification projects was already underway.

“Two Mughal-style welcome gates will come up on the Delhi-Agra highway and outside the Agra Cantt railway station. The electrical wiring in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal will go underground.

“Road crossings on the main M.G. Road will soon have Mughal-style police posts. Half a dozen have already been constructed. Street lights are being done up and the main roads are being re-carpeted,” Ali said.

The ADA is also going to put up welcome gates with detailed information on the historical buildings.

District authorities have already sent proposals for an inner ring road, new flyovers, bypasses and new water and sewage lines to the state government. Most of these projects have to be completed by September end, officials said.

Meanwhile, authorities indicated that work on the Yamuna Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra, is on the right track.

“Land acquisition process is almost complete and work on the project is going in full steam to meet the October deadline,” an official said.

Agra Commissioner Radha S. Chauhan said: “Traffic movement within the city should be smooth and without hiccups, particularly for those wanting to see the Taj Mahal. The ADA has accordingly begun working on an alternative route to the Taj Mahal to avoid the main M.G. Road and Yamuna Kinara road.”

The railways too are working to upgrade the Agra Cantt railway station into a world class facility. Divisional Railway Manager Devesh Mishra said: “The security apparatus has been installed at the station.”

While government bodies are gearing up for the big event in October, the hotel industry is not that enthusiastic. Most hoteliers feel they would hardly benefit as majority of tourists would return to Delhi the same day.

“Agra with three heritage monuments is not yet a destination. It continues to remain an excursion point from Delhi,” said former president of Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association Surendra Sharma.