NDMC spruces up Lutyens' Delhi ahead of Putin's high-profile visit

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has spruced up Lutyens’ Delhi with intensified beautification and maintenance efforts ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in the national capital on Thursday for a nearly 27-hour visit.

A senior NDMC official said the civic body maintains the highest standards of cleanliness year-round, given the presence of key institutions such as the Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament and various ministries in the area.

"NDMC is the number one area in the country in terms of cleanliness, as the area is of utmost importance. The NDMC area is always ready, and it is an ongoing process throughout the year, but we check all our facilities before such an important visit," the official told PTI.

Officials said the council's water-sprinkler-on-electric-poles initiative is functioning continuously to settle dust and help reduce pollution levels.

"We have greenery throughout the NDMC zone. We have cleaned and checked all facilities near important buildings where meetings can take place, like Ashoka Road near Hyderabad House," another senior official said.

He added that new potted flower displays have been placed at key locations, including C-Hexagon, the PM House roundabout, Teen Murti roundabout and the entry point at Dhaula Kuan.

Putin's visit comes at a time of a rapid downturn in India-US relations, lending greater diplomatic weight to the 23rd India-Russia summit, during which the two sides are expected to sign several agreements, including in the area of trade.

The Russian president is likely to land in New Delhi around 6:35 pm on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host him for a private dinner the same evening, mirroring a similar gesture extended by Putin during Modi's Moscow visit in July last year.

On Friday, Putin will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before holding summit-level talks at Hyderabad House, where Modi will also host a working lunch for the visiting leader and his delegation. Putin is scheduled to visit Rajghat in the morning.

After the summit, the Russian leader is expected to launch the new India channel of a Russian state-run broadcaster before attending a state banquet hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu.