Fountain fixtures, genset wires go missing in G20 puzzle for officials

Thieves in the national capital have set their sights on installations put up in and around New Delhi ahead of the G20 Summit, stealing high-end lights, copper wires and even cheap, minor fittings like nozzles, said officials of the state Public Works Department (PWD).

- Paras Singh

 

The thefts set back efforts to give the city a facelift in the run-up to the crucial meeting of global leaders, the officials added.

In the weeks since the makeover drive began around parts of New Delhi and central Delhi, PWD officials said they have filed 50 complaints with the police, but to little avail, giving the agencies a fresh headache less than two weeks before several world leaders and hundreds of delegations are expected to land in the national capital.

“Such incidents are not ending. In some cases, multiple thefts have occurred at the same site,” said a PWD official, who asked not to be named.

Some of the goods nicked, such as a sensor unit for a fountain installed near Pragati Maidan, are as expensive as ₹2.5 lakh, but some, such as nozzles, cost little in the scrap market, said officials.

Another popular choice for thieves is the brass nozzles on fountains, installed at crossings, they said.