India News | Delhi LG Plants Cherry Blossom, Chinar Saplings on Three Islands in Yamuna
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Sunday planted 300 saplings of cherry blossom and chinar on three islands in the Yamuna between Qudsia Ghat and the ITO barrage, Raj Niwas officials said.
New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Sunday planted 300 saplings of cherry blossom and chinar on three islands in the Yamuna between Qudsia Ghat and the ITO barrage, Raj Niwas officials said.
Cherry blossom and chinar are being planted for the first time in Delhi and these mark a new beginning in the drive to deck up Delhi's landscape, they said.
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In addition, over 1,400 saplings of other floral species, including kachnar, weeping willow, semal, bottle brush, bougainvillea and kaner, were also planted on the Yamuna islands. In total, 1,733 saplings were planted on the three islands in the presence of the LG, the officials said.
The chinar and the cherry blossom saplings have been planted at the highest points on each island with a three-metre space between two saplings. The other floral species have been planted in grid formation in the remaining areas.
Cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry, is a deciduous tree that has been adapted at several places in India like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Shimla and Shillong among others. Similarly, chinar is also a deciduous tree known for the peculiar shape and colour of its leaves.
Chinar trees are mostly found in Jammu and Kashmir. It is for the first time that an effort has been made to introduce chinar and cherry blossoms in Delhi, the officials said.
The initiative is also aligned with the LG's vision of making Delhi a city of flowers, for which he has been personally monitoring the progress of works and coordinating with multiple agencies, they said.
Over the next three days, seeds will be sown along both the banks of the Yamuna using drones and in the next 2-3 weeks, these flowering plants will grow. A large number of riverine grasses have also been planted to prevent erosion, the officials said.
Saxena also inspected the ongoing Yamuna cleaning operations and appreciated the efforts of the agencies and the workers involved. The LG lauded religious leaders and institutions for extending support to Yamuna cleaning and said industries and its leaders will be brought on board for cleaning of the river, according to the officials.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)