Sunder Nursery in Delhi at Crossroads as Cafes, Crowds and Conservation Collide

In the heart of Delhi, where Mughal monuments whisper centuries-old stories and 300 species of trees create an urban sanctuary, Sunder Nursery stands as a testament to what happens when heritage conservation meets modern ambition. Since opening to the public in 2018 after a decade-long restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, this 90-acre heritage park has become Delhi's newest ecological gem, attracting 1.1 million visitors in 2024 alone. 

But with the November opening of four new cafes, Cafe Dori, Perch Wine and Coffee Bar, Cortasso Coffee & Bake House, and Meltado, alongside the existing Carnatic Cafe inside the nursery, questions have emerged about whether this beloved green oasis is being transformed into just another commercial hub.

The tension is palpable at the Sabz Burj roundabout, where the collision of conservation and commerce plays out daily in traffic jams and overflow parking lots.

Food Waste And The Hidden Challenge of Success

Long before the cafes arrived, Sunder Nursery had been quietly wrestling with the consequences of its own popularity. The winter picnic season, when Delhi's pleasant weather draws families by the thousands, transforms the pristine grounds into a battleground against waste. "During weekends, especially from December to February, we're collecting nearly 200 kilograms of food waste daily," explains Ramesh Kumar*, a sanitation worker who has been with the nursery since its reopening after the pandemic. "People bring elaborate picnics, but what they leave behind is overwhelming."

The nursery's management implemented a comprehensive waste segregation system early on, with separate bins for organic waste, recyclables, and general refuse distributed throughout the park. According to the Sunder Nursery Management Trust's sustainability model, organic waste is composted on-site and used as natural fertiliser for the park's extensive plant nursery operations. Yet the scale remains daunting. "We have more than twenty staff members just for waste management," says Kumar. "During peak season, that's barely enough."

The arrival of four new cafes, each serving around 250-300 customers daily with significantly higher numbers on weekends, has forced the park to confront waste management with renewed urgency. Unlike the scattered picnic waste, cafe operations generate concentrated, predictable streams of organic matter, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and food scraps that can be systematically managed. "The cafes actually make our job easier in some ways," notes Kumar. "Commercial kitchens segregate better than picnickers ever will. They have their own cleaners, and thus the picnicking crowd has no options to litter and more options to eat and maybe not even picnic."

A manager at Cortasso Coffee & Bake House, whom we conversed with at the cafe, emphasises their commitment to responsible operations. "We've implemented strict protocols, composting organic waste, using biodegradable packaging, and working with the nursery's existing waste management infrastructure. This isn't just another commercial venture; we're custodians of this heritage space."

Traffic, Crowds, and the Price of Popularity

Step outside Sunder Nursery on a weekend afternoon, and the idyllic image shatters against the reality of urban chaos. The Sabz Burj roundabout has become synonymous with gridlock. A traffic policeman stationed there captures the frustration perfectly, "How many cars can we tow? Aisa lagta hai puri Dilli yahan aa jati hai weekends par" (It feels as if the whole of Delhi is here on the weekends).

The traffic problem is multi-layered. Humayun's Tomb, which receives double the footfall of Sunder Nursery, lacks dedicated parking. Auto-rickshaw and Uber drivers congregate in the narrow lanes, waiting for passengers. And now, four new cafes have apparently intensified the pressure according to common consensus on social media, especially X.

"The main thing is management," argues a manager at Cafe Dori. "The new cafes are not the culprit; the police should be able to control the traffic better." He points out that the nursery has two designated parking lots, and the compound was built within existing structures to comply with heritage regulations.

Yet for visitors navigating the chaos, the distinction feels academic. A tourist from Bournemouth, England, surveying the scene with bemusement, asked us if the traffic was "always this bad." The unaccompanied children dodging vehicles, the jaywalkers, the auto-rickshaw drivers ignoring traffic rules, it's a daily circus that raises questions about whether infrastructure has kept pace with ambition.

Democratisation and New Urban Possibilities

But amid the complaints lies an unexpected narrative of accessibility and transformation. "I just don't get why there are so many corporate folks working on their laptops there," one visitor complained at Perch about people bringing work to the nursery. Yet this criticism reveals something profound: Sunder Nursery has become a rare democratized workspace in a city starved for options.

Surabhi Goswami and Meher Raza, two friends who work at MNCs abroad remotely, have now become regulars at the nursery, stating its better air quality and now with better food options, it is even better. They articulate what many feel. "It's a place where people like us can come together and work in peace, that too in an environment that supports the community, which is rare in Delhi," they explain. 

The cafes have also created new jobs, many filled by residents from the neighbouring Nizamuddin Basti. "Working here has given me dignity and a stable income," says Sharif Khan, a server at Cafe Dori. "I don’t think this is an issue. They’re part of preserving this heritage while earning their shares from it. I don't see any issues in it." From a tourism perspective, the cafes represent crucial infrastructure. Domestic tourism, which accounts for most of Sunder Nursery's visitors, thrives on amenities that make extended visits comfortable. 

Finding Balance in Growth

The question facing Sunder Nursery isn't whether cafes belong in ecological spaces; it's how to integrate commercial functions without compromising the park's soul. The four new establishments represent a test case for urban heritage management across India.

Success requires vigilance on multiple fronts: waste management systems that scale with footfall, traffic solutions that prioritise pedestrians and public transport, and commercial operations that view themselves as heritage custodians rather than mere tenants. 

The challenge is profound but not insurmountable. Sunder Nursery has already demonstrated that ruins can be restored, that biodiversity can be preserved in urban hearts, and that heritage can be made financially sustainable. Whether it can also prove that cafes and conservation can coexist harmoniously will determine not just its own future, but also serve as a blueprint for green spaces across India's rapidly urbanising landscape.