New Delhi, May 8 -- The public works department (PWD) will replace 500 Indian flags damaged by recent thunderstorms and squalls across Delhi, officials said on Tuesday. A new private agency will be hired to manage the replacement, as the contract with the earlier firm has expired. The new flags are expected to be installed by next month, PWD officials said. These flags were installed in 2022 by the Delhi government to mark 75 years of Independence and have since been maintained by the same agency. "We have asked for a new agency to take over the job and replace all torn and tattered flags in the city. The contract for the previous agency recently expired. The work will soon start, but meanwhile we have taken down all flags that were damaged, mostly due to thunderstorms," a PWD official said. Most of the flags under PWD maintenance measure 35x50 metres and are mounted on 115 metre tall high-mast poles. While some are installed at ground level, others rest on raised concrete platforms. Officials said the entire structure-cloth flags, poles, and platforms-will be repaired and maintained as part of the new drive. The department has earmarked approximately Rs.27 crore for the exercise, including Rs.24.5 crore for civil repair work and Rs.2.5 crore for electrical repairs, as several flags are accentuated with LED strip lights and profile lighting. Over the past few days, residents have flagged the issue on social media, posting images of torn flags at locations including Nehru Place, Dwarka, Sonia Vihar Road, near Kalkaji temple, Nangloi, Mayur Vihar, Najafgarh Road, Nirman Vihar, South Extension, ITO, Hari Nagar, JLN Stadium, Kotla Mubarakpur, Barapullah flyover and the Delhi Secretariat. "For the last five days, I am around Delhi and wherever there is a national flag, it is all torn. Please replace these," posted an X user, Anurag Bharatiya....