NDMC to spruce up Delhi with flower decorations during summer for G20 summit

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to install flower and foliage decorations at roundabouts, traffic islands, and avenue roads in Lutyens’s Delhi in the summer and the monsoon — the first time that the council is planning to beautify these routes with flora in a non-winter season.

The plan is part of a wider beautification project being undertaken across the city, which will host the G20 summit in September.

A senior official from the NDMC horticulture department said that in the coming months, commuters will be able to witness visually appealing arrangements of flowering plants that can withstand high temperatures, such as vinca, zinnia, celosia, gladiolus, gomphrena, portulaca, cosmos, sunflower and balsam.

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“Normally, the high temperatures and low availability of water keeps the number of flowering and ornamental plants during the summer months to less than 400,000-550,000. This year, the department has doubled the number of flowering plants due to the G20 summit meetings, and more than 1 million such plants have been seeded or are under procurement. The blooming will start from next month and will continue till the monsoon season,” the official said.

A second NDMC official said the topography of New Delhi, and the low availability of water, remain major challenges in sustaining the summer bloom. “We had 156 borewells, and a large chunk of these units have been closed down following directions by the National Green Tribunal. We have deployed 28 water tankers with capacity of 9,000 each, and eight tractor trolleys with a capacity of 5,000 litres each to take care of these plants every day. Around 1,400 gardeners and field workers will be taking care of summer bloom this time,” the official said.

NDMC has already floated tenders to procure bulk amounts of bulbous flowering plants such as lilies and caladium, which will replace the tulip sites.

The civic body had developed flower towers, poles and arches using metallic frames and geotextile nets for the first time in the winters of 2023. The idea is now being extended to host summer flowering plants. “These flower installations are being replaced to host portulaca, and ipomea yellow and red. These are being clubbed with tougher varieties like syngonium and jade plants to increase the survival rates so that these plants can protect the host flowering species,” the second official said.

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NDMC council member Kuljeet Chahal said Delhi residents and foreign delegates will be able to see the 54 roundabout and key avenue roads in full bloom. “Flower towers and fabricated installations like huts and pyramids that were developed during the winter months will now be used to feature these flowering species. More than 100,000 tulips were planted this year and we saw very enthusiastic public feedback. These areas will now be planted with bulbous flowering plants of the summer variety. Special emphasis is being laid on places like the India Gate’s C-Hexagon, Hyderabad House, Shanti Path, Mandi House and Windsor Place,” he said.