Hyderabad: The country’s largest flag was damaged Wednesday thanks to strong winds and brought down for replacement for the second time after June 2, when it was unfurled by CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the occasion of State Formation Day.
Apart from the original one, the spare flag too was damaged while being raised on Wednesday. Security personnel in Sanjeevaiah Park said they had noticed a hole on the green portion of the flag on Tuesday night and it had widened by the morning. On receiving information, officials of the R&B department arri-ved with the spare flag on Wednesday morning. As they were in the process of raising the spare flag, it too got damaged after being stuck in the nuts and bolts of the flag mast. Both flags were taken away by officials for repairs, a security personnel at the park said.
Damage is not unusual to monumental flags
Flag Foundation of India chief executive officer K.V. Singh, whose advice was taken by the Telangana state government to erect the 292-foot-tall flag post and 72/108-foot-flag, said, “Monumental flags getting damaged is a universal phenomenon.”
Any flag post higher than 100-foot-high and flags with dimensions of over 20/30 feet is considered monumental. There are about 150 monumental flag posts in India. “Even the Flag Code of India is silent on this.”
The empty pole (Photo: DC)
There is no alternative as on date but to replace or repair the flag as they get damaged due to wind velocity. “In Delhi, the flag was changed 11 times in the last one month and Rs 35,000 is being incurred per month to get damaged flags repaired. In Ranchi, too, the flag gets damaged and is repaired frequently. The height of the flag post in Central Park, Conna-ught Place, New Delhi, is over 200-ft and in Ranchi it is 293-ft,” he said.
A German organisation is trying to strengthening the fabric of the flag and the Flag Foundation of India is in touch with them, said Mr Singh. Telangana roads and buildings executive engineer S. Ashok said the fabric of the flag was knitted-polyester, similar to the ones in Delhi and Ranchi.
