Delhi gets its own 'Wonders of the World' Park

A 60-ft Eiffel Tower and a 20-ft Taj Mahal are among the replicas of the seven wonders of the world built at a theme park here using 150 tonnes of industrial and other waste.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday inaugurated the 'Waste to Wonder Park' which is spread across an area of seven acres in the Sarai Kale Khan area.

The replicas are -- Taj Mahal (20 ft), the Great Pyramid of Giza (18 ft), Eiffel Tower (60 ft), Leaning Tower of Pisa (25 ft), Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer (25 ft), Rome's Colosseum (15 ft) and New York's Statute of Liberty (30 ft), SDMC officials said.

The park has been built by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) as part of its initiative to process waste under meaningful projects and add aesthetic value to the city.

"The seven replicas have been made with the scrap of automobile parts and other metal waste like fans, rods, iron sheets, nut-bolts, bicycle and bike parts, defunct sewer lines and age-old appliances gathering dust in 24 municipal stores," the official said.

SDMC Commissioner P K Goel said 150 tonne of scrap and waste has been used to create the "architectural wonders for the city".

He claimed this was the "world's first" such park where all the seven wonders have been replicated using waste products.

"In other wonders of the world parks, cement and mortar have been used, and their cost had been much higher," Goel said.

The replicas have been fabricated artistically and the park has been commissioned in the "shortest period of six months despite the expected time of completion being eight months" in view of the vast waste material available, the SDMC said.

"Even wash rooms have been made from obsolete shipping containers. Five artistes, seven supplementary artistes, and 70 welders worked on it to accomplish the most coveted project. It has been built over an area of seven acres," the official said.

There are plans to start a light and sound show to showcase the journey leading to the wonder park from the waste materials, the SDMC said.

To avoid huge rush of visitors, it has been decided to charge an entry fee of Rs 50 for adults and Rs 25 for children in the age group of 3-12, it said.

However, children up to three years of age and senior citizens, 65 years and above, will not be charged any fee. School students from the municipal corporations, carrying identity cards, will be allowed free entry, the official said.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal and BJP MP Maheish Girri were also present on the occasion.