The Chief Minister of Telangana K.Chandrasekhar Rao, always likes ‘tallest’ ones, either its is a church, temple, building or a flag. Don’t write him off by saying that they are tall orders.
To mark the Telangana Formation Day, KCR hoisted the second tallest national flag, measuring 72 by 108 ft, on the banks of the historic Hussain Sagar lake at Sanjeevaiah Park on June 2, 2016. The flag, costing Rs.3 crore to make, was hoisted atop a 275 ft mast and stands second to the 293 ft tall flag in Ranchi. Now, maintenance of the tri-colour is getting on officials’ nerves.
The flag got torn in the wind a couple of days after it was hoisted forcing the government to bring it down to do a patch up exercise. Though officials claimed that it was immediately replaced with a stand-by flag, some media reports indicated that the tear that appeared in the top corner of the flag was patched up and hoisted back. But, alas, the tear widened within a matter of hours. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which has been entrusted the task of maintaining the flag, has so for changed the flag thrice.
Officials reviewed the problems involved in maintaining the flag at a meeting chaired by the Special Chief Secretary MG Gopal on Saturday. Top brass of R&B, HMDA, GHMC and Police took part in the meeting, in which looked at the maintenance of similar gigantic flags hoisted in Ranchi, Delhi and Faridabad. A need of posting a person round the clock to monitor the flag was also felt by the officials.
Initially, KCR wanted to erect a 303 ft flag mast, which would have bettered the 293 ft flag pole built by the government of Jharkhard but the idea had to be dropped due to an objection raised by the Airports Authority of India. The height was an objection to the AAI because the Begumpet airport is close to the Sanjeevaiah park. Made of knitted polyester, the flag weighed 66 kg and cost Rs 1.35 lakh.
Part III of the Flag Code-2002, which relates to display of the National Flag by Central and State governments, states: “Damaged or disheveled flag should not be displayed” and “When the Flag is in a damaged condition, it shall not be cast aside or disrespectfully disposed of but shall be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or by any other method consistent with the dignity of the Flag.”
The code also states that the National Flag of India should be made of hand-spun and hand-woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting. The flag flying atop India’s Parliament is in fact made of khadi but the other huge flags are made of polyster!
Representatives of Flag Foundation of India, a non-profit organisation that consults on large flag projects across India, said wear and tear due to strong winds is a frequent occurrence with flags across India and it is not possible to make a huge flag made of khadi may get discolored if kept hoisted for a long time.
Ever since the first monumental flag was hoisted in Kaithal, Haryana in 2009, knitted polyester is used, according to the officials.
The Flag Code specifies nine standard sizes for the national flag, the biggest being 21 ft by 14 ft. The Hyderabad flag is more than five times bigger at 108 ft by 72 ft. The other big flags, such as the ones in Delhi, Raipur and Faridabad are also bigger than the specified size.
