NEW DELHI: In a city once known for its tree-lined boulevards and sprawling public parks, residents across Delhi are now confronting a stark reality: their neighbourhood green spaces are deteriorating rapidly and the city’s tree cover is shrinking in the face of relentless urban expansion.
From Dwarka to Seelampur, citizens report crumbling infrastructure, dried vegetation and poor safety in public parks that once served as vital community spaces.
“There was a time when we would come for evening walks, children would play and senior citizens would gather to chat,” said Vandana Mishra, a resident of East Azad Nagar.
“Today, the lights don’t work, the benches are broken and the entire park feels unsafe after sunset.” Her concerns are echoed across neighbourhoods. Shikha Gupta, a retired schoolteacher living in East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area, pointed to garbage piles and dried-out flower beds in her local park.
“We’ve repeatedly asked the local authorities for better maintenance, but they say there are no funds or staff. In summer, it becomes unbearable due to a lack of shade,” she said. Beyond maintenance issues, residents are also upset about the growing push to monetise green spaces.
In February, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued notices about proposed entry charges in some parks, including those in Dwarka. This has sparked protests among locals, many of whom believe green space access is a basic right. “These are not amusement parks; they are lungs of the city,” said local resident Ayush Singh. “We already pay taxes. Why should we pay again to sit under a tree? Introducing fees will keep the poor out and make parks exclusive to a few.”
There are also significant disparities in access to parks across the city. An analysis by the Centre for Youth Culture Law and Environment (CYCLE) reveals stark differences in the distribution of parkland across Delhi’s districts. South-East Delhi leads with parks covering 8.1% of its total area, followed by West Delhi at 6.6% and East Delhi at 6.3%. South and New Delhi both report 6% coverage. However, the figures drop sharply in less privileged areas. North-East Delhi has a mere 1.2% green cover in parks, while North and South-West Delhi see only slight improvements at 2.3% each. “In our entire block, there are only two parks, and even those are encroached upon,” said Adil Sheikh, a Seelampur resident.
“One has turned into a parking lot, and the other is mostly used for garbage dumping. Where should children go to play?” Even as public dissatisfaction grows, city officials continue to insist that Delhi’s green cover is increasing.
In recent statements, the forest department claimed that plantation drives and vertical gardens have contributed to improved greenery.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, Delhi’s green cover has more than doubled over the past two decades, from 10.2% in 2001 to 23.06% in 2021. However, activists and experts dispute these claims. “The definition of ‘green cover’ has become questionable,” said environmentalist Bhavreen Kandhari.
“They include potted plants on flyovers and shrubs in medians, but ignore the fact that lakhs of trees are being felled every year for road-widening and infrastructure.”
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, filed by Bhavreen, official figures revealed that over 12,000 trees were cut in Delhi in under three years for various infrastructure projects. In many cases, these fellings occurred without adequate environmental clearance or transparent replantation efforts. Adding to the problem is what residents describe as the reckless and unscientific pruning of existing trees.
Across colonies, large branches are hacked off, sometimes reducing healthy trees to stumps. “What they call pruning is actually mutilation,” said Brij Kishore, a gardener in Punjabi Bagh. “Half the trees they touch don’t survive the next monsoon.” The Delhi High Court, in a hearing last year, criticised the forest department for permitting what it termed “careless and harmful” tree maintenance. The court noted that no clear scientific protocol was being followed and that repeated complaints about excessive lopping had gone unaddressed.
Despite periodic plantation drives and beautification projects, residents and environmentalists say Delhi lacks a coherent, long-term green policy.