Prosopis juliflora or vilayati kikar

Prosopis juliflora or vilayati kikar

Subject: Environment

Context: Expert panel heading the revival project of Central ridge in Delhi said by removing a few branches of “Kikar” tree will help sunlight to break through and full-grown saplings can be planted in such places to control pollution effectively.

Concept:

• Panel has been working for proposals for restoring over 400 hectares of the Central Ridge.
• It recommends replacing few branches of “Kikar” (can’t be totally removed as it is a notified forest) and replace that with full-grown forest having three-layer canopy, and broad-leaved trees, and shrubs (polluted air will pass through the bottom layer of the forest and move up, or vice versa, and that will sieve out fine particles in the air).
• It will also put less stress on groundwater.

About “Vilayati Kikari”

• It is an invasive tree species introduced under the British Empire in 1930s (native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean) as part of development of Delhi.
• Its leaves are small and smooth.
• Concern over the tree is it does not let any other tree or shrubs survive around it. These trees can dry up underground aquifers through its deep-root system, going as far as 20 metres or more in search of water, significantly higher than around 5 metres that native shrubs and trees go.
• The tree’s canopy is such that it does not let sunlight reach the ground, which also hinders growth of other species.

Delhi Ridge

• The ridge is a reserved forest of about 7,700 hectares and the northern extension of the Aravalli Range is in National Capital Region of Delhi.
• It lies in the Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor.
• The Delhi Ridge acts as the green lungs for the city and protects Delhi from the hot winds of the deserts of Rajasthan to the west.
• Delhi ridge acts as water divide between Indus and Brahmaputra drainage system.
• Central ridge is part of Delhi ridge.