The Chirag Dilli flyover in Delhi is being transformed with wildlife murals that replace torn posters, accumulated rubbish and stained concrete beneath the structure. The project, being carried out for Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), is scheduled for completion by Monday, according to painter Sandeep Nayak.
A team of 12 to 15 painters from Jharkhand is working on the murals, which feature tigers, lions and birds. Nayak said the paintings are intended to promote animal and environmental conservation while improving the appearance of the space beneath the flyover.
The project addresses a familiar problem across Delhi’s elevated road infrastructure. Areas beneath flyovers often become informal surfaces for posters, dumping and neglect because they fall between the city’s transport, municipal and maintenance responsibilities. At Chirag Dilli, the mural work is being used to convert a grime-covered concrete surface into a more visible public-facing space.
The work is part of a wider arrangement between the Delhi government and IOCL to support improvements in city infrastructure, health facilities and public services. Under the partnership, IOCL adopted five major flyovers for maintenance over a three-year period. The locations named in the arrangement are the flyovers at IIT Delhi, Panchsheel, Punjabi Bagh, Chirag Dilli and Mukarba Chowk.
The agreement also covers a 500-metre stretch of Aurobindo Marg. Other elements include upgrades to hospitals, water ATMs and modern energy hubs at Delhi Transport Corporation depots, according to a Times of India report published last year.
The beautification component across the identified sites was estimated at Rs 20 crore and was to be implemented through an external agency. The Chirag Dilli murals therefore represent one visible part of a broader public-private maintenance programme rather than an isolated painting exercise.
For residents and road users, the immediate change is likely to be most apparent at street level, where the underside of the flyover is encountered by pedestrians, motorists and nearby communities. The paintings introduce a consistent visual theme to a space previously marked by waste, damaged posters and discoloured concrete.
The project also highlights the difference between one-time beautification and continuing maintenance. The partnership specifies a three-year maintenance period for the adopted flyovers, while the current mural work is expected to be completed by Monday. The supplied report does not provide further details on the maintenance schedule, agency responsibilities after the mural work or the operational status of the other adopted sites.
