NEW DELHI: It was sometime in 1922. The construction of the new imperial city-New Delhi- was going on in full swing. William Robert Mustoe, the chief gardener, who was entrusted with the responsibility for plantation in the new capital, established a nursery at Safdarjung, with about 500 species of trees. Another nursery was set up at the ruins of Mughal era Talkatora Garden, where trees proposed to be planted along the avenues in New Delhi were also grown.
Before going for the plantation, Mustoe conducted an analysis of earth samples of avenues to pick particular species of trees according to the quantity and availability of nutrients present in the soil.
After deliberations and experimenting, 13 indigenous kinds of trees were selected depending on their shape, size, and their deciduous nature to adorn the ‘garden city’ as conceived by Captain George Swinton, chairman of the Town Planning Committee (TPC), constituted for building the new capital.
The species include Neem, Imli, Sausage, Baheda, Jamun, Arjun, Putranjiva, Laurel Fig, Peepal, Pilkhan, Mahua, River Red Gum, Jadi, Khirni, Maharukh, Buddha’s coconut and Anjan.
“When New Delhi was planned, the land was not fertile, mostly grains were grown. It had dense Kikar forests. Because the new capital was being planned as a garden city, Mustoe took a decision to go for soil testing. Then, he decided which tree would suit a particular stretch. That’s why we see a series of similar kind of trees at a road,” said Madan Thapliyal, former director (public relations) of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and author of ‘New Delhi Eighth City’.
Almost after 90 years, NDMC, which administers New Delhi area, is planning to carry out ‘soil testing’ once again to plan future plantation and preserve its green wealth, accumulated over the decades.
“Soil mapping and testing will help us to determine nutrient contents, composition, and other characteristics including nature of soil. We will also come to know about status of its fertility and expected growth potentiality indicating nutrient deficiencies,” said a senior official of the council.
This is the first time; the council has proposed such exercise since formation of New Delhi.
“Soil analysis is another attempt to save ageing trees. With the test, we will come to know about holding capacity of the soil at a particular stretch. After which, we can decide pruning of old trees so that they can be saved. Several trees fell prey to squall every season in the absence of adequate trimming,” said the official.
In the last four years, about 270 trees were uprooted in New Delhi and the area lost more than 800 trees due to various reasons (see graphic).
Mustoe planted 10,000 trees at the time. Following the plantation drive done at different points of time by the council in the area, Lutyens’ zone has more than two lakh trees now.
According to an article, ‘The genius of an artist’: William R Mustoe and the planting of the city of New Delhi and its gardens’-by Patrick Bowe in Garden History, Mustoe faced difficulties to arrange water for planting as 180 wells, existed then, in the city were filled by engineers. However, he managed to open a few of them.