NEW DELHI: The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued a new standard operating procedure to improve the upkeep of greenery along its roads and also enhance public safety in the process. The order requires systematic pruning and removal of hazardous vegetation, and sets clear standards for planting, maintenance and contractor duties across the network.
Under the SOP, all trees along PWD roads must be pruned every six months and dead trees on central verges removed promptly. The document lists multiple objectives including safeguarding plant health, preventing accidents, improving aesthetics and supporting environmental sustainability, and directs officials to maintain a uniform height for plants on central medians.
Specific height limits have been prescribed: trees on central verges may grow up to five metres, while hedges and shrubs should be restricted to between one and 1.2 metres.
The SOP also specifies routine horticultural care: regular weeding, cleaning and watering; fortnightly soil loosening; and both chemical and farmyard fertilisation at least twice a year.
The move follows safety concerns after a recent incident in Kalkaji, where a large neem tree fell on vehicles during inundation, killing a 50-year-old man and injuring his daughter, who suffered a pelvic fracture. The PWD, which is responsible for the affected road, has cited such events as part of the rationale for stricter controls.
The SOP requires removal of dead or diseased branches, and of limbs interfering with electric lines or streetlights, but only after obtaining necessary approvals from the forest department.
The horticulture wing has been instructed to ensure vegetation on footpaths and medians does not block traffic lights, road signs or U-turns, and to keep central verges and pavements clean and visible. The PWD has also directed proper manpower deployment for the maintenance of vegetation on its roads.