Park on banks of Yamuna to trace freedom struggle
NEW DELHI: As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, people of Delhi will get glimpses of the freedom struggle -- from the 1857 mutiny to the Dandi March -through plant sculptures at a biodiversity park being developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the Yamuna riverbank near the Commonwealth Games village.
The Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) will develop the landscaped park by restoring local ecology. It will also maintain the Amrut Biodiversity Park spread over 108 hectares on either side of the river. “We have signed a memorandum of understanding with CSIR-NBRI to take up the greening activity at the Amrut Biodiversity Park,” said Rajeev Kumar Tiwari, principal commissioner, DDA. “The plan is to highlight important events in India’s freedom struggle as we complete 75 years of Independence.”
There will be five dedicated tracks on 90 hectares of land on the eastern bank that will depict an important historical event each. The landowning agency and CSIR-NBRI have decided on five historical events — 1857 Mutiny, Santhal Rebellion, Champaran Satyagraha, Dandi March and the struggle by Azad Hind Fauj led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. These will be represented through plant sculptures and appropriate vegetation.
“Amrut Biodiversity Park will have a few tracks depicting some important events related to India’s freedom struggle,” said Saroj K Barik, director of CSIRNBRI.
The agreement with CSIR-NIBRI was signed in April, Tiwari said, adding that 75 varieties of species will be planted on the floodplain.the institute will take two years to complete the work. “The institute will maintain the biodiversity park for five years (till 2029),” said Tiwari.
Four-tier forest
The biodiversity park will be spread on either side of the Yanuma river. While 90 hectares is located on the eastern side, 18
The DDA has roped in the National Botanical Research Institute to develop an Independence-themed landscape at the Amrut Biodiversity Park in east Delhi hectares is located on the western bank, close to the New India Garden, which is being developed by the Central Public Works Department as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. The plan is to develop a “four-tier forest with varieties of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees,” Tiwari said.
All plantation activities at the park will be undertaken as per the National Green Tribunal’s guidelines, Barik said. “Only plants which are part of the vegetation of the Yamuna catchment will be used,” he said
“We will also be restoring the Yamuna floodplain ecosystems following appropriate ecological principles,” Barik said.
“The other objective work will be to develop the park such that people get a glimpse of the rich biodiversity of our country. The park will also provide its recreation ecosystem service to the general public.”
While CSIR-NBRI is finalising details of the work, DDA is developing unpaved walkways and cycle tracks spread over 11km, nature walks along the river, public toilets, etc., which will be completed by the end of June.
The biodiversity park will also have a butterfly garden, scared groves and a nursery. On the eastern bank, a system of wetlands along the unpaved pathways and cycle tracks interspersed with floodplain forests and grasslands is being developed to restore the ecology of the Yamuna floodplains.
“These wetlands will act as natural sponges for the floodplains and help in augmenting the water holding capacity of the area,” he said on condition of anonymity. “The aim is to intercept the receding water so that water is retained for longer.”
The portion of the park on the western bank is close to the river’s edge and within 300 metres of the green buffer area. “A variety of native trees and riverine grasses to facilitate the ecology of the river will be planted to connect with the river,” the DDA official said.
Green activists complain
Environment activists, however, said that the Yamuna floodplain is not meant for “ornamental landscape work”.
“The ornamental landscape work is easy to make, but difficult to maintain. But the big question is: why do we need this on the Yamuna floodplains? The floodplains require the natural biodiversity of Yamuna,” said Manoj Misra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan.
“There is enough space available in the rest of the city where these plant sculptures can be developed,” said Diwan Singh, an environmental activist. “The DDA should focus on restoring the ecology of the floodplain.”
NEW DELHI: Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh on Monday said that the university had written to St Stephen’s College, informing the institution that it will have to comply with t he varsity’s admission policy and admit students in the unreserved category solely on the basis of their scores in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).
In the letter to St Stephen’s principal John Varghese on Monday, DU registrar Vikas Gupta wrote that the admission policy of the varsity, which mandated that admissions for the 2022-23 session shall be on the basis of CUET-2022 scores, applied to all its colleges.
“With regard to your college, taking note of the fact that it is a minority institution (for candidates belonging to Christian community), the university has decided that 50% of the open seats shall be filled solely on the basis of merit of the common entrance test score.
However, remaining 50% of seats for minority candidates shall be filled solely on the basis of combined merit of 85% weightage to the CUET score and 15% weightage to the interview to be conducted by St. Stephen’s College,” wrote Gupta.
He also told the college that there will be a single merit list for admission of candidates belonging to the Christian community regardless of any denominations/sub-sects/subcategories.
Fifty per cent of the seats in the various courses offered by minority colleges are reserved for students belonging to specific minority communities. St Stephen’s College and Jesus and Mary College are two of the Christian minority institutes under Delhi University.
According to DU’S admission policy, admission to the 50% general seats in minority institutes will be purely on the basis of CUET scores.
St Stephen’s, meanwhile, has stated that it reserves the right to admit students as per its own admission policy as a minority institution.
The college also issued a circular in April stating that it will provide admissions based on 85% of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores and 15% of the interview marks for all categories.
Since then, there has been a stalemate over the admission policy between the college and the university.
The principal of St Stephen’s College did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.
The university has decided that 50% of the open seats shall be filled solely on the basis of merit of the CUET score. VIKAS GUPTA, Registrar, Delhi University