Some saplings planted with plastic pouches
GREEN DELHI Experts say the plastic cover won’t allow water to drain, will cause roots to rot
NEWDELHI: A large number of the saplings planted at Garhi Mandu on the Yamuna floodplains in east Delhi on Saturday, as part of the Delhi government’s mega plantation drive, are unlikely to survive, experts said.
Reason — these saplings were planted with t heir plastic pouches still wrapped around them.
Hindustan Times visited the plantation spot at Garhi Mandu on Saturday, from where chief minister Arvind Kejriwal kick started the drive by planting a banyan tree.
Amid all the enthusiasm one could also spot some untrained and unskilled labourers planting saplings without removing their black plastic pouches.
Those that did remove the pouches before planting the saplings, discarded the plastic at the spot leaving the Yamuna floodplains scattered with non-biodegradable rubbish.
“Before the drive we had issued specific instructions to everyone to remove the plastic pouches. Some might have not removed them. It is not possible to watch over every individual planting a sapling. But if the plant growth is not good or if they die, we have plans to replace the saplings with fresh ones next year. As for the plastic pouches and plastic glasses, directions have also been given to remove them from the floodplains within 24-48 hours,” said a senior forest depatment official who was present at the site.
Interestingly, school students who took part in the drive were careful enough to remove plastic coverings before planting the saplings.
Hindustan Times tried to speak to some of the labourers who were planting the saplings. But most refused to speak and shied away. Some, however, removed the plastic pouches silently when pointed out.
“Saplings planted with the plastic pouches will have very little chance of survival. During the monsoon the plastic won’t allow the water to drain out and water will get logged near the roots. The roots will ultimately rot and the plant will die. Secondly, the plastic will raise the temperature of the soil near the roots. Third, the plants root would not be able to penetrate the plastic and hence won’t get nutrition,” said Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist-in-charge of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.
Experts said that the best practice is to remove the plastic pouch before planting. Even if that is not done, at least the base of the pouch should be cut and removed so that the roots can grow. If that is not done, then chances of survival of a sapling becomes slim.
At least 17 species of indigenous plant varieties — such as jamun, pilkhan, gulmohar, peepal, sheesham and arjun, among others — were planted at the site on the floodplains.
Even though officials of the forest department said the plants would do fine, environment experts had a different opinion.
“The Yamuna floodplains often get flooded after heavy rains and due to the river swelling. Most of these species cannot withstand inundation and water logging. If there is no proper mechanism for the water to be drained out, many will die,” said KS Rao, head of Delhi University’s botany department.
A stroll across the plantation area also revealed that plastic pouches that were removed from the saplings remained strewn across the site, threatening the fragile ecosystem of the floodplains. To add to the problem, disposable plastic glasses, which were used to provide water to thousands of students and guests, also lay scattered on the ground.
“Polythene packets are very dangerous and will destroy the floodplains fragile ecosystem. The forest department should remove them as soon as possible,” said Manoj Misra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan.