The Amrut Biodiversity Park, developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) across 90 hectares of the Yamuna floodplains along the river’s eastern bank, was formally inaugurated on Friday by lieutenant governor VK Saxena.
The park — the third DDA project inaugurated along the Yamuna floodplains, after Asita East and Vasudev Ghat — has six water bodies, with approximately 14,500 trees of diverse species, along with 18,000 shrubs and about 321,000 riverine grasses. The facility includes walkways and lawn spaces, with plans to establish a cafeteria and add sculptures to attract more visitors, the LG said.
The trees planted include neem, kachnar, cluster fig, peepal, pilkhan, chilbil, senegalia catechu, champaca, mango, mahua, Spanish cherry, kaim, white mulberry, kadamba, jangal jalebi, kanak champa, amla, karanj, elaeocarpus ganiturs, ashoka tree, jamun, trumpet tree, imli, tamarix, teak, arjuna, baheda, siris, kala siris, star fruit, and Madagascar almond, all planted by the National Botanical Research Institute.
“The restoration and rejuvenation of the Yamuna floodplains is the top priority of the government. Green Delhi is our priority and we will leave no stone unturned to work towards it in a mission mode. Delhi is a city that lacks open green spaces for people. Our aim is to create such serene places where people can come with their families for walks and recreational activities,” Saxena said.
Given the site’s susceptibility to flooding, the park’s landscape features have been strategically designed to manage stormwater, reduce flood risks, and improve the local water table through natural filtration.
“We have named this park Amrut as this area used to be very dirty and encroached, and we really worked hard to bring it to its natural form. There are many depressions in the area that have been kept untouched and in their natural form so that whenever flooding happens in the area, these will be filled with water,” Saxena said.
DDA officials said the park has come up on a previously underdeveloped area, which was used for agriculture, nurseries, and settlements, adding that the site experienced prolonged depletion of its natural soil texture, and native plants.
They said the park has a flat topography with an overall slope away from the Yamuna, forming small catchment zones that collect water during the annual inundation of the river, which has also resulted in the formation of gullies within the site.
The six water bodies within the park have a capacity to hold 225 million litres of water. Its slopes have been reinforced with jute, and riverine grasses have been planted to stabilise these slopes, as the area is prone to inundation during high floods, one of the officials said. Dirt pathways have also been developed for walking and jogging amidst the natural plantation.
“To foster public engagement with nature, two public interfaces have been established along NE9, near the Commonwealth Games Village. These areas offer amenities that connect visitors with the natural environment, even during flood-induced inundation periods,” the official quoted above said.
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