Amid heavy footfall, lawns at India Gate temporarily shut in parts to keep grass alive; CPWD cordons off sections

The lawns along the Kartavya Path opened to the public on September 9, after the redeveloped stretch from India Gate to Vijay Chowk was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the previous day. While barricades and security guards have been deployed to manage crowds, the stretch, earlier known as Rajpath, has seen large crowds, particularly on weekends, since reopening.

Naturalist and author Pradip Krishen, who was asked for advice on the plantation plan by the project’s architects, HCP Design, Planning and Management, said he had suggested a different species of grass that could grow under the shade of the jamun trees there.

“It’s tricky, with grass. It takes lots of water and nutrients, and a lot of intense labour to do the weeding, etc to create a perfect lawn. Further, the particular kind of grass that they use doesn’t grow in the shade. So what to do under the canopies of the rai-jamun trees? We discussed the possibility of moving away from the idea of an English lawn. We suggested a species of grass that could grow in the shade,  and some other low-growing (prostrate) plants, like Volvulopsis and Oxalis, that do well in drier landscapes,” he said.

But, this suggestion was met with resistance by the CPWD officials, he added.

Nidhi Madan, a landscape architect and member of the Indian Society of Landscape Architects that had raised concerns with the Rajpath plan last year, said closing off public spaces was not the solution. “Central Vista is a democratic public open space with equitable access for one and all. This is represented in its visual and open space character and public use.  Cordoning it off compromises this very idea. A landscape management plan needs to be put in place keeping this in mind,” she said.