No more semi-wars with monkeys in South Block

After the inauguration of the ultra-modern complexes of the Ministry of Defence by the Prime Minister, the ministry and its offices in the hutments around South Block will no longer be battlegrounds between rats, monkeys and the sarkari hired langurs deployed to frighten them away.It is difficult to describe how the New Delhi we know today has grown as a seat of power. Old Delhi underwent a massive change after it was chosen as the new capital by the British in the grand Darbar of 1911. The Viceroy’s House, North and South Blocks, broad avenues and many colonnaded bungalows were legacies of an imperial ambition built by Lutyens and Baker.Imposing and majestic and easily visible to us “natives”, it was to be a daily reminder of the power of the British “to impress the Indians with our determination to stay here”. However, less than two decades later, these buildings continued to be the seat of power but were inhabited by Indians. The Viceroy’s House became the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the two identical buildings, North and South Blocks astride the Rajpath, housed the Prime Minister’s office, ministries of defence, home, external affairs and finance, among others. They became proud symbols not of the past but of the present.These two magnificent blocks with many columned verandas and beautiful inner courtyards had a thousand rooms each. However, there was no space for future expansion to accommodate the expanding bureaucracy and the armed forces constantly growing in numbers. Office spaces were in short supply and they soon spilled into structures meant for the attendants of the Indian princes around India gate as well as the stables and corrals for British horses and ponies.The hutments that have now been shifted to new, modern buildings, somehow managed to retain their connection to animals, decades after they had ceased to be horse stables. Coming face to face with monkeys sprawling across the verandahs was a common experience, with semi wars being fought to find a way across to the next complex.A big casualty were the legacy files stored at various offices spread across the complex. A rat infestation at the hutments meant that files were frequently destroyed, if the prevailing seepage problem in the decades-old structure didn’t get to them first. A bigger worry for officials working there were the occasional snakes that appeared, hunting for the file destroying rats.At the heart of the problem was the fact that these hutments and barracks had a designed life for just 10 years. Yet, extensions were given every decade to prolong the structures, with works being sanctioned to make them inhabitable. Behind many tiled and modern looking offices in these hutments were termite eaten walls.The need for extensive cabling to meet modern requirements meant that false ceilings had to be put in place in almost all buildings. These became a playground for mice and pigeons, often messing up critical lines of communication.The biggest frustration perhaps was that the labyrinth of hutments, spread across 50 acres, enabled many a disappearance from work. Finding officials at their seats was no easy task given that a lot of time was spent walking around for “meetings”. The new structures are believed to have surveillance technology inbuilt, that will bring accountability for actual time being spent on the desk.Undoubtedly there will be a visible improvement in the office environment with modern amenities, energy saving devices like rooftop solar panels and rain water harvesting structures. The co-location and 24/7 camera monitored entry and exit points should improve administrative efficiency on account of ease of inter-departmental movement as well as tracking of officials.It could also mean an end to the extended lunch and tea breaks as well as lounging on the verdant lawns of South Block and the hidden crevasses of the hutments. A casualty perhaps will be that unbelievable sights might be difficult to catch. One that many vividly remember was the spectacle of a man dressed as a langur, making clicking noises and jumping around to scare away the ever-present monkeys for several weeks. The reason? Langurs had been taken off service after an animal rights activist made a representation to the defence minister.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3Alaik6