Plans to start planting sandalwood trees in a week’s time are being drawn by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). 1,000 saplings of red sandalwood from Andhra Pradesh, and white sandalwood from Tamil Nadu will arrive in the next few days, officials stated. While 400 saplings will be planted in the north zone, 600 saplings will be planted in the south zone.
“As soon as they reach, we will start planting them to take advantage of the suitable weather,” Satish Upadhyay, vicechairman, NDMC told Hindustan Times. The saplings are 3-4 feet high. They will be planted in parks and gardens, and not on roadsides where the chances of them being vandalised are high.
“There are sandalwood trees planted in the Aravali areas, which means they can adapt to the environment here. There is enough time before the winter arrives, so we hope the saplings will have adapted to the atmosphere by then. Still, we will go for a closer plantation or in a bunch instead of going for plantation in isolation to ensure maximum survival,” said Upadhyay.
Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park and Sanjay Jheel have been finalised as the sites for plantation so far, and more places will be finalised once the saplings are in Delhi.
Delhi’s lieutenant governor VK Saxena had asked the civic bodies in Delhi to plant 10,000 sandalwood trees during the monsoons. This was in preparation for beautifying the NDMC area and giving an aesthetic look to Lutyens’ Delhi prior to the G-20 Summit in the city early next year.
The MCD plans to plant 3,000 sandalwood saplings in closed locations such as parks and gardens during the monsoon plantation drive.
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