Concretisation killing Lutyens’ heritage trees: Experts
nNEW DELHI: On May 6, a towering neem tree on central Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg fell dead. This piece of Delhi’s history, which was planted during the British rule, was estimated to be nearly 90 years old and had a girth of 1.8 metres. In the municipal survey report, the cause of the death was simply identified as “hollowness”.
According to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) data accessed by HT, 1,475 trees have fallen, or dried up and died, or been cut down for construction activities between 2015 and July 3 this year. Apart from ageing, experts blame concretisation and digging of trenches to lay underground cables for the tree deaths, which they say is causing tremendous ecological damage.
Environmental activists and experts say that despite a 2013 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order placing a ban on construction anywhere within a one-metre radius of a tree trunk, such activities continue. Frequent digging to lay underground cables — which damages roots of trees — and the lowering of the water table, are also reasons behind tree deaths, according to experts.
In Lutyens’ Delhi, the avenue trees that have fallen in about five-and-a-half years include pilkhan trees on Dr Zakir Hussain Marg; neem trees on Abdul Kalam Road and Prithviraj Road; and imli (tamarind) trees on Tilak Marg and Akbar Road. Nearly 30% of these trees were “heritage trees” that were over 100 years old. The others were planted between 1920 and 1935 during the construction of Lutyens’ Delhi.
Beginning 1912, British planners and arboriculturists planted a specific variety of tree on each avenue. For example, neem trees were planted on Shahjahan Road and Abdul Kalam Road, among others, and jamun on Ashoka Road and Rajpath.
Author and environmentalist Pradip Krishen said trees in the Lutyens’ zone not only have ecological value but are also historically important. “Even though NDMC is now planting the second line of trees in these avenues, it is no excuse to not take care of the older trees. It will take these new trees years to attain enough height and girth to provide the benefits that the older ones are providing,” Krishen said.
He added: “The loss of any tree is bad news for us, but these trees carry a lot of history with them. Each variety of trees was selected for each avenue keeping the aesthetics and its surroundings in mind. The horticulture departments must have the good sense to preserve it.”
Data shows that this year alone, 41 trees died in the NDMC area due to various reasons such as damage to roots, hollowness, and storms. In 2019, a total of 229 trees died. Out of them, 50 were uprooted and 172 dried up. Two were cut for construction work and five were cut because they were categorised as “dangerous”. This year, NDMC has set a target of planting 5,116 trees. In 2019, the agency planted nearly 10,000 trees. However, the survival rate of saplings in this area is 50-60%.
During an inspection in 1999 to ascertain the reason behind the high mortality of Imli trees on Tilak Marg and Akbar Road, a team comprising members from the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute found that these old trees were mainly falling because of “developmental activities” such as laying of underground electrical wires, telephone cables and water pipes.
NDMC’S horticulture department is in charge of the maintenance of the trees.
S Chellaiah, director (horticulture), NDMC, said the trees are primarily uprooted because of concretisation, laying of underground utilities and soil compaction. He stressed that the civic agency is concerned that the falling of these full-grown trees will not only be an environmental loss but also of heritage. “Considering that most of the wiring [for electricity cables, CCTV cameras, street lights etc.] is laid underground, you will find a web of cables around tree roots. Other reasons for trees getting uprooted are concrete-centric development and ageing. Even older trees could have live,” Chellaiah said.
The civic agency says it has been proactive in checking trenching work and concretisation to prevent more trees from falling. Early July, NDMC issued a show-cause notice to Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) after reports of damage to trees on Sardar Patel Marg in Chanakyapuri during work to lay underground cables for installing CCTV cameras along the route.
CR Babu, professor emeritus at the Centre for Environment Management of Degraded Ecosystems at Delhi University, said concretisation is a major reason behind trees choking to death across the Capital, but the loss increases when the victims are old, avenue trees.
“Concrete and overhead and underground wiring choke roots and damage canopies. Even though the government has maintained the avenue trees well, by paying a little more attention, we can protect the city’s heritage for some more years. The trees in other parts of the city are in worse conditions. Even if they aren’t chopped off, they die a slow death,” Babu said.
The area under NDMC (43.7 sq km) accounts for just about 3% of the entire city (1484 sq km). Nearly 50% of the NDMC area is under green cover.
Explaining the ecological benefits of the trees, Babu said: “If you assess based on numbers, why does Lutyens’ Delhi always have lower pollution levels compared to the rest of the city? It is because of this canopy of trees that are planted along both sides of the roads there. Trees are efficient scavengers of dust. Also, you cannot depend on new plantation because the survival rate of saplings is very low and it takes years for the few survivors to become fully-grown trees.”
Officials in the three other municipalities (north, south and east Delhi municipal corporations), who did not want to be named, said they do not have a proper log of the number of trees in their area and the reasons behind tree deaths.
Officials said even if there are trees in their areas that are older than 100 years, they are neither categorised nor treated with additional care. “We are yet to have a proper tree census. We don’t have the means to do so,” said a senior horticulture department official of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.