A spectacle of damaged statues on the picturesque Tank Bund is likely to greet delegates of the 11th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to be held in the city in October. While the city is being spruced up, including the lawns on the Tank Bund, empty pedestals without statues remain unattended. The dozen new statues ordered to replace the damaged ones, which were pulled down during the T-protest Million March, will be ready by December for the World Telugu Conference. The empty pedestals are likely to be an eyesore to 8,000-odd international delegates from 194 countries who will descend on the city in October. Sources said the damaged statues and pedestals could be covered, but that might generate more curiosity.
Director of culture Kavita Prasad said: “We are trying to speed up installation of new statues on Tank Bund.” The government had revalidated Rs 47.58 lakh funds earmarked for the new statues as it had lapsed due to delay in finalising tenders.