Delhi floats tender for 12K plantations to beautify SP Marg
New Delhi
Around 12,000 flowering trees and shrubs, including amaltas and bougainvillaea, will be planted along the Sardar Patel Marg to beautify it and a tender has been floated for the same, officials of the Delhi forest and wildlife department said on Wednesday.
A similar drive in June 2023—wherein Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena asked the forest department for a five-layered plantation of around six flowering species at the ridge, including chinar and cherry blossoms, in the run-up to the G20 Summit—did not yield desired results, a senior forest department official said on condition of anonymity. The drive focused on the side facing SP Marg as it provided access to visitors and dignitaries commuting between central Delhi and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
The forest department official said the plantation drive is likely to commence in monsoon season, and fully grown saplings—around 10 to 12 feet high—will be planted. 'The aim is to beautify the initial part of the stretch adjacent to the forest with flowering trees and shrubs. This will make the approach aesthetically pleasing and we are focusing on native species,' the official said.
They said over 1,000 each of amaltas, Lagerstroemia speciosa (Queen's crepe myrtle), and Tabebuia rosea (rosy trumpet tree) will be planted, and around 8,400 bougainvillea will be planted, according to the tender. The last date for submitting bids is June 2, as per the tender dated May 26.
The forest official said that while the species are not expected to flower this year, there is a possibility some species may flower by next year.
Experts, however, questioned the choice of species selected.
Environmentalist Pradip Krishen said that barring amaltas, the remaining three species were not native to the ridge. 'Even bougainvillaea may survive in the ridge, but that does not mean it is a good reason to plant it there. Just because a species is able to grow on thin rocky soils, you cannot let ornamental exotic plants be introduced there. On one hand, the forest department says is ecologically restoring the ridge, but at the same time, it is opting for such species which are not native at all,' he said.
Delhi has four prominent ridge areas, with a total area of around 7,784 hectares. The largest—the Southern Ridge—is spread over 6,200 hectares. Central Ridge is the next largest, with an area of 864 hectares. The South-Central Ridge in Mehrauli is spread across 626 hectares and the Northern Ridge is spread across 87 hectares. The Nanakpura south-central ridge is spread across seven hectares.
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