Is this Delhi that I see?

While going through my college diary I stumbled upon this poem that I had written in the beginning of June 2010, when preparations for Commonwealth Games were in full swing. Here is the poem: 

Is this Delhi that I see?

No birds, no plants, no greenery

Beautification of the city they said

‘Men at work’ the signboards read

Bricks, mortar, cement, and stone

New structures have been grown

Colour, fragrance, liveliness

Nature spreading happiness

Sweet songs of birds and bees

Pure air and the cool breeze

Now replaced by oil and grease

Smoky air that makes you sneeze

Is this Delhi that I see?

No birds, no plants, no greenery.

2010 Commonwealth Games

It was the culprit to be blamed

But is it right and is it fair

Blame not one it should be shared

Wrong has been done, everyone’s to blame

It was not ‘them’ cause ‘we’ had claimed

Beautification by cutting down trees

Progress and growth that’s what we see

Isn’t it so foolish, isn’t it so lame

Putting natural beauty to artificial shame

Cement structures and stony lanes

Done all this for Commonwealth Games

Oh when will this attitude change?

‘Growth’ by cutting tress isn’t it strange

Not measured by the structures built

But by the trees that we have killed

Can’t change it now we’ve done it all

Letting buildings grow & trees to fall

We’ve done it all

We’ve done it all.

Is this Delhi that I see?

No birds, no plants, no greenery.