US first couple get a 'green' welcome

New plants, freshly painted footpaths and walls, polished iron grills and barricades. The city's civic agencies are putting their best foot forward to greet US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle.

New plants, freshly painted footpaths and walls, polished iron grills and barricades. The city's civic agencies are putting their best foot forward to greet US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle.

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The New Delhi Municipal Corporation has planted hundreds of saplings along the footpath opposite ITC Maurya. Interestingly, these saplings have replaced all the dead plants that were planted a few months ago for the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

The horticulture department of the NDMC has been assigned the task to plant new saplings on the stretch.

The civic agency was expected to plant as many as 750 saplings before Obama's visit to the Capital.

According to senior officials of the civic agency the saplings were destroyed due to constant trampling by pedestrians.

"The saplings were planted just before the Games. But due to constant trampling by pedestrians most of them either died or were uprooted. That is why we started the re-plantation work," said a senior NDMC official on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The civic agency would also polish the iron grills and barricades and replace all damaged parts. About 50 officials are working round-the-clock to clean up the area.