In the heart of New Delhi,a wasteland springs to life

Following the successful restoration of Humayun’s Tomb Garden and as part of the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal project,the Central Public Works Department and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) have been busy with the landscaping and development of the 70-acre Sunder Nursery since 2009.

Landscaping commenced following a meticulous survey that included documenting each tree within the nursery. Detailed discussions with experts allowed the project team to prepare a Landscape Master Plan for the nursery with the aim of combining heritage,ecology and nursery functions within one comprehensive interactive space.

The efforts bore fruit and the nursery now offers opportunities for recreation,education and discovery together with procurement of plants.

The landscape plan,designed by renowned landscape architect Muhammed Shaheer,derives inspiration from the traditional Indian concept of congruency between nature,garden and utility coupled with environmental conservation.

Once the work is complete,Sunder Nursery — designated a District Park in the Master Plan 2021 and also a notified Conservation area — will be a green space,rivalling Lodhi Gardens and even the Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Ratish Nanda,AKTC Project Director,said,“In order to ensure that the nursery functions are enhanced and made more efficient,the project started with the creation of nine acres of nursery beds in the northern section of the plot. A two-km concrete road limits vehicular movement to the periphery of the complex and allows visitors a safe pedestrian zone. We have put in place a good electrical and hydraulic infrastructure to ensure efficient and limited use of electricity and water.”

In a far-sighted move,the CPWD and AKTC are developing portions of the nursery to provide a representation of over 300 species of flora found in the Capital. This,the team said,will be useful for schoolchildren to learn about the various plant species.

Over 20 acres of the nursery is being developed as a micro-habitat area to showcase plants of the ridge,riverine,alluvial and marshy landscapes. Another nine acres will be converted into a bird habitat for nesting peacocks.

The crowning glory of the nursery is its bonsai collection. Put together over the last 50 years,the collection has more than 300 plants,gifted by Dr V P Agnihotri to CPWD. These have been housed in specially built structures for public viewing.

Nature trails and pathways will allow visitors to walk through the nursery,learn about plants and buy the varieties,best suited for their homes.

A senior CPWD official said,“The nursery would have been lost to a major thoroughfare during the Commonwealth Games. But thankfully,it has now been conserved for generations to come. Many rare trees have been planted here and they are much appreciated by our customers.”

“Nine Mughal-era monuments within the nursery grounds are also being restored. A portion of the Mughal Grand Trunk Road,which runs through the park,is also under development. The landscape works will be done within a couple of years. We are already in discussion with CPWD on the best manner to manage the grounds in a sustainable way,” Nanda said.

“The nursery was in a real bad state and the funds available for its conservation was limited. The entire area was lying waste but following the Memorandum of Understanding there has been tangible development,” said D S Sachdev,former Director General,CPWD,under whom work on the project was initiated.