No foreign plants at CWG park

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The New Delhi Municipal Council's plans to build a Commonwealth Games Park that will house plants from Commonwealth nations is nearly complete, but minus the foreign element. Built near Sarojini Nagar, the 2.5 acre plot was conceived to promote the spirit of the Games by including plants from other nations. However, the plans have been scrapped for the moment as the civic body could not arrange for the plants. However, officials maintain that they would start scourging for the plants once the Games are done.

There were two main reasons why the NDMC could not complete the work. "Firstly, there was the fear that foreign plants may not survive on Indian soil and, secondly, foreign plant species might harm local varieties," said a senior official of the civic body.

NDMC spokesperson Anand Tiwari told Newsline that they had requested several embassies to provide them with plants from their countries but they did not provide any, considering the above-mentioned apprehensions. "There was also a shortage of time as several projects were pending before the Games. Post-Games, we might reconsider the feasibility of getting foreign plants," he said.

For now, the park sports indigenous species of plants like amla, tesu, peepul, and bargad. A cobbled path has been laid around it and local shrubs have been planted. The planting of trees and shrubs is nearly complete and only a small bamboo shed is yet to be constructed. A gardener at the site said work will will be done before the Games. "Because of the rains, the plantation of some plants took longer time. Pits dug up for plantations started filling up with water. Now that rains have stopped, work has become easier," he said. The park also has wood sculptures scattered around it with some of them being done up in the shape of animals.

The plan to construct the park was floated by NDMC in 2009. The actual plan included planting one sapling each from the 71 countries representing the Commonwealth.

INDIA News, News