Delhi govt to outsource maintenance of 500 national flags, start helpline number

The Delhi government will implement a comprehensive maintenance plan for the 500 national flags installed across the national capital and will rope in an agency for its execution, officials said on Monday.

Earlier, the government had commissioned a study to identify more durable fabric, following repeated damage caused by strong winds and adverse weather conditions.

“We plan to hire a company, which will take up comprehensive maintenance of flags, establish a helpline number, replace flags when torn and make status reports of the condition of flags daily. A tender has been issued to hire a company,” a PWD official said.

According to the official, 115-foot-high flagpoles have been installed at around 500 locations in the city. The flags are made out of polyester material to prevent them from frequent damage. However, they do not withstand strong winds and are frequently damaged in monsoon season.

The fabric that has been ordered for the new flags to be installed would fulfil specific conditions, such as threads with tensile strength exceeding 8 kg, according to the official.

“The agency has to deploy a minimum of 10 mobile pickup covered vans with a team, comprising two electricians, two helpers and a driver so that on average, 50 flags can be covered by each team,” the official said, adding that the estimated cost of the maintenance project with a four-year contract would be Rs 33 crore.

According to the government’s plan, a helpline will be established where complaints regarding any damage to the flags can be registered. Also, proper lighting around the flagpoles will be ensured, and if the damaged flag is not replaced within the stipulated time, then a penalty will be levied on the contractor.

The work of installing national flags started in 2022 when the previous AAP government, under its ‘Deshbhakti’ budget, announced the initiative to cover the entire city with tricolour to generate a sense of nationalism.

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According to PWD officials, maintenance teams are regularly on the ground, checking if any flag is damaged.

While installing these flags, the department has adhered to the 2002 Flag Code of India rules that pertain to the laws and practices around the display of the national flag.