Delhi forest dept to replace 8,300 flood-hit saplings along Yamuna

Official said the damage to the trees and saplings was predominantly recorded around east Delhi’s Garhi Mandu area, where the department has multiple forests.

The forest and wildlife department of Delhi has completed an assessment of trees and saplings that were damaged along the Yamuna floodplains in the light of last year’s floods, which saw water-level peak at 207.48 metres, its third highest water-level ever recorded.

In September, 2025, Yamuna peaked at 207.48 metres, which was its third highest water-level recorded in the city. (HT PHOTO)

The department has now floated a tender to replace over 8,300 saplings damaged due to the floods -- as “casualty replacement” while also planting 46,000 saplings near the Yamuna Bank metro station across a 35.73 hectare patch. The plantation will commence soon, a forest official said.

The official said the damage to the trees and saplings was predominantly recorded around east Delhi’s Garhi Mandu area, where the department has multiple forests.

“Since this is fertile Yamuna floodplain land, typically plantation here is done before the monsoon season commences. Last year’s floods caused significant damage, while we saw almost no damage to the saplings in 2024,” the official added.

In September, 2025, Yamuna peaked at 207.48 metres, which was its third highest water-level recorded in the city. In comparison, it was recorded 204.38 metres in 2024. Delhi had witnessed its worst ever floods in 2023, when the river peaked at 208.66 metres.

Notably, the warning level for the river at Old Railway Bridge is 204.50 metres, while the danger level is 205.33 metres.

The tender, a copy of which HT has seen, calls for plantation around the Yamuna Bank metro station. Last year, the access road to the metro station was shut down for several days, as it became completely submerged in water, even as Metro operations continued.

“In 2023, parts of Garhi Mandu remained submerged for several weeks on end. Last year, the impact was reduced due to better preparation. However, still we had damage plantations done in 2024 and 2025,” the official added, stating the goal is to create dense forests in and around Garhi Mandu.