Central Vista redevelopment: What we lose along with the trees around the National Archive

1,838 trees in Delhi are slated for transplantation to make way for the Central Vista plans, despite the survival record of transplanted trees being very poor.

These are no ordinary trees. These are the birds, the butterflies and the bees. These are where our kids sat immersed with books, stories and workshops in the annual children’s book festival. A fellow mom asks me, Where will kids have beautiful story sessions now? True, it wasn’t just the books but the magic of being in the lawns of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) each spring season, frolicking and giggling under these angel guardians. And yet, 1,838 of these trees in and around the IGNCA campus, and the road in front of National Archives, are slated for transplantation as per a Government of India tender, to make way for the Central Vista redevelopment.

Just like every year, my son is finishing his environment-oriented holiday homework with the theme being climate change this time. I am wondering whether to tell him that the trees will be gone next year.

Where will kids have their annual story sessions now? Pic: Jasmine Singh

The government’s tender document mentions that 1150 trees with girth up to 50 cm, 401 of girth beyond 50 cm and up to 90 cm, 205 trees of girth between 90 cm and up to 150 cm, and 82 of girth beyond 150 cm would be transplanted at a cost of 1.87 crore. Permission of the Delhi Forest Department would be required, but nevertheless the tender has been floated.  The question remains whether any alternatives to relocation of these trees around the IGNCA ever received serious thought amid all the grandiose plans for the Central Vista, as not much information is available in the public domain. 

Most of these trees in and around the IGNCA are more than fifty years old, which makes them special trees. These peepal, amaltash, banyan, ficus and many others are our living heritage. They define the green urban character of this part of the capital. They support an entire ecosystem regulating the microclimate around. 


Read more: The price of a new storm-water drain in Delhi: 600 trees and a park


The risks of transplantation

The World Air Quality report 2021 by Swiss technology company IQAir has ranked Delhi as the world’s most polluted capital. This transplantation exercise meant to facilitate the redevelopment plans for the Central Vista certainly doesn’t seem a wise move viewed from that perspective. Trees transplanted 20 km away will deprive this area of the oxygen considering each tree produces about 118 kg of oxygen a year. It will take the new saplings eons to compensate for the loss to the urban ecology. 

The word transplantation is itself shrouded in mystery. India’s record on survival of transplanted trees has been miserable. Most of the 3800 trees transplanted for the Dwarka expressway project in 2021 are dead. A senior landscape professional tells me that a tree of any size can be transplanted with mega equipment and spending huge money, but survival is low as most authorities don’t have the time nor inclination to take care of these once relocated. 

Pic: Jasmine Singh

When I show him the big banyan tree he says ‘This is difficult because of its immense size and the fact that it is not one stem and root system. It’s a tragedy that this is happening.’

The Indian Express also recently quoted a Forest Department official as saying that transplanting any tree with a trunk girth of more than 80-90 cm is not advisable. The tree cannot bear the shock and will eventually die. One such humongous tree of the ficus family, 150 cm in diameter, stands at the western end of the IGNCA campus. The Mati Ghar building is smaller in size than this ficus. 

The tender document talks about a paltry penalty of Rs 5000 in case the agency fails to videograph the entire process of translocation and submit it fortnightly to CPWD. The Delhi tree policy talks of slashing the contractor’s payment if survival rate of trees is less than 80%. But can these fines and penalties redeem the value of our prized possessions in the name of redevelopment? These natural oxygen towers need all our love and care, because we need them more today.

Also read:

Comments:

  1. Anuradha Mehrotra says:

    Absolutely they are our heritage.we have to preserve them

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Unplanned growth, flawed notification endanger Delhi wetlands

Increased public involvement and lessons from successful restoration attempts can help revive the crucial wetlands under threat in the city.

Have you been to the Surajpur wetland, near Surajpur village in Gautam Budh Nagar district? Located in the midst of an expansive industrial city under the administrative purview of the Greater Noida Development Authority, it reveals itself as a mosaic of a sprawling lake, towering trees and thousands of birds, many flying in from distant lands. As you enter the wetland, the guards tell you not to go beyond the second viewpoint. It is untamed territory, the domain of many wild animals, they warn.  However, all has not been well in this sanctuary of nature. In January 2024, the Uttar…

Similar Story

Lake Health Index reveals pollution concerns in Bengaluru’s water bodies

The citizen-driven Lake Health Index project assessed the condition of three lakes in the city: Ulsoor, Doddabommasandra and Shivapura.

Bengaluru grapples with a persistent water stress, worsened by the decline in rainfall, overexploitation of groundwater and decreasing Cauvery River levels. The water crisis has led experts and the government to reconsider using lakes as a source of water, either by storing treated wastewater or harvested rainwater. The draining of lakes, like Bellandur and Varthur, for desilting has contributed to a major part of the groundwater crisis in Bengaluru. However, with the upcoming monsoon predicted to be normal, there is a looming concern regarding the lakes in the city. The anticipated rains may bring one of the highest influxes of…