30,000 saplings planted on Dwarka e-way in Gurugram

Around 30,000 saplings have been planted on the central verge of the Dwarka Expressway in Delhi, with an additional 1 million hedges to be added. The aim is to create a dense green cover to tackle pollution and cool the area. Automatic sprinklers have been installed to ensure the plants receive sufficient water. The project, being undertaken by Larsen & Toubro, is nearing completion. Additionally, four "mini forests" will be developed on the cloverleaf.

With most of the civil and structural work of phases three and four of the Dwarka Expressway completed, the project contractor has now started the exercise to add greenery on the highway and develop a dense vegetation at the cloverleaf where this road converges with Delhi-Gurugram expressway, officials said.

Saplings planted along the Dwarka Expressway, in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

As per Larsen & Toubro (L&T), who is undertaking the project, around 30,000 saplings have so far been planted on the 19-km-long central verge of the expressway starting from the cloverleaf up to Bajghera near the Delhi-Gurugram border.

Apart from the saplings, around 1 million hedges will also be planted along the central verge to create a boundary along the central median, said officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) aware of the development.

An NHAI official said that around 6,000 saplings have been planted on the three loops of the cloverleaf in an attempt to create dense vegetation around it.

“We want to ensure that the entire highway has dense green cover so that it not only helps tackles pollution but also helps cool the area,” said the official, who did not wish to be named.

L&T officials said that among the plants and trees planted at the cloverleaf are species such as neem, peepal, arjun, mango, and other ornamental plants — all of which have been planted under the observation of horticulture experts. “These will not only be pleasing to the eyes but help in countering air and dust pollution,” said Tanmoy Chatterjee, project director, L&T.

To ensure that the plants get sufficient water, NHAI has also installed automatic sprinklers on the entire expressway.

Chatterjee also said that a dense hedge would also be planted along the central verge to create a boundary and protect the trees. “Majority of the work on the highway is complete in package three and four. So now we are focussing on greening the road,” he said.

During his inspection on July 23, NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav had announced that four “mini forests” will be developed on the cloverleaf.