Govt, civic body begins removing concrete around trees in Old Delhi

A tall peepal tree, believed to be more than 100 years old, stands within a house behind Jagat Cinema near Jama Masjid in the Walled City. One of its branches has been cut and a and a portion of its trunk has been concretised to accommodate the construction around it. It is one of the 24 old and full-grown trees in the densely populated Old Delhi, which are being restored by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi government’s forest department on directions of the Delhi High Court.

While some of these trees have permanent or semi-permanent structures around their trunks, damaging their roots, others have been heavily pruned over the years. A team of officials from the corporation and the forest department had conducted a joint survey of the area last month and started removing the concrete around them.

Sixty-seven-year-old Omwati, the oldest resident of the three-storey house which has come up around the peepal, said the tree has been a saviour for the three generations that have lived there. “We believe that it has protected us from all evil. In 1970, a huge branch that was spreading up to the next building was cut by its owner, as it was coming in between the construction he was doing. Its branches would provide shade to the entire house and had to be pruned several times over the years for sunlight to pass through,” said Omwati.

Omwati said she was 13 when she came to the house after her marriage and the tree had been there ever since. “A few days ago some officials had come to inspect the tree and said that they would put a number on it in order to save it from further damage,” she said.

According to a senior forest official, who did not wish to be named, said, “In case of this tree, de-concretisation cannot be done, as it is too close to the foundation of the old house and also there is lack of space, which may pose a danger to the building.”

Deputy conservator of forests (DCF-North) Aditya Madanpotra said a number of trees that had grown inside the house or a wall, de-concretisation could not be carried out because of limited space and potential danger to the building. “In rest of the trees where religious structures have come up around tree trunks, the matter has been referred to the Delhi government’s religious committee for action as per norms. Besides, around other trees, the cemented boundaries have been broken allowing them space to breathe and water to seep into their roots,” he said.

He added that since most of these 24 trees are peepal or neem, which regenerate fast, the root system has been preserved. “We will keep monitoring them and in case any further encroachment is reported, we will put up tree guards around them,” said Madanpotra.

As per an affidavit filed by the North Corporation in the Delhi High Court on September 2, at least eight of the 24 trees have religious structures around their trunks in Chandni Chowk municipal ward. Also, the tree branches are wrapped in a web of wires and cables in most places.

The corporation submitted the affidavit listing the old trees in Dariba Kalan, Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid, Jagat Cinema area and Kinari Bazar, among others on the court’s directions which came during a hearing in a plea to restore an approximately 300-year-old banyan tree in Nai Sadak area of Chandni Chowk. On August 6, Nai Sadak resident Nitin Gupta had filed a plea about unauthorised construction that was damaging the tree.

At Kinari Bazar’s, Gali Peepal Wali, locals said the street got its name from the old peepal tree there. “The tree has been here for at least the three generations that I have seen. A team of officials had visited the site some days ago and broke down some structures that had come up around the tree,” said Hazari Lal, 73, who owns a decorative items shop nearby.

At Cycle Market near Dariba Kalan, another peepal tree, almost five-storey tall, had cement around its trunk, as a temple had come upon it. “I have been seeing this tree since at least 1983 when I started working here. The religious structure had been there since,” said Rajeev Khurana, who owns a shop in the compound.

At least five trees on the Netaji Subhash Marg and Urdu Bazar Road fall under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD) and de-concretisation has been carried out here. The roots of the tree on Urdu Bazar Road lay covered with fresh mud.

A senior official from the North Corporation said, “We have removed concrete from tree trunks in most of the cases except for those which had religious structures and a few others, which had grown into walls and houses, that could threaten the building’s foundation. We are waiting for the response of the government’s religious committee to take further action,” the official said, who did not wish to be named.

PWD officials said de-concretisation of trees under its jurisdiction has already been done.

A Delhi government spokesperson did not offer any specific comment.

CR Babu, professor emeritus at the Centre for Environment Management of Degraded Ecosystems at Delhi University, said there are several trees in Old Delhi area have been concretised over the years. “The trees do stand tall because of their roots being deep into the ground, but these trees are not healthy at all. They are just surviving with a thin canopy. All trees have two kinds of roots --- deep in ground and another that are close to the surface. Concretisation damages the roots close to the surface, which play a crucial role in maintaining plant health by absorbing moisture and helping in uptake of nutrients. The root system can regenerate if concrete is removed,” said Babu.