PWD to hire armed guards to stop theft at Pragati Maidan tunnel

New Delhi: The public works department (PWD) plans to hire armed guards to prevent theft of murals at the ITPO-Pragati Maidan tunnel here, officials said on Tuesday.

The tunnel has beautiful murals and there have been attempts in the past to steal them, they said.

The murals are hand-painted and manufactured on a mild steel sheet that enhances the look and quality. The colour of these murals changes at every 250 metres in the tunnel.

While there are unarmed guards on shift, the department now plans to rope in armed guards following the theft attempts and they will be deployed on eight hour shifts, the officials said, adding that a tender has been floated for the purpose. “There have been thefts in the tunnel. Some attempts have also been thwarted but some instances have been reported. With the G-20 summit this year, foreign delegates will be passing through the tunnel and we want to ensure that the beauty of the tunnel is not compromised,” said an official.

Delhi’s first road tunnel in the Pragati Maidan area and its five underpasses were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year in June. The tunnel of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor is 1.3-km long. The murals depict India’s culture, flora-fauna, zodiac symbols and six seasons in different parts of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

The tunnel project has been executed by the Delhi PWD.