The Delhi Government has notified the new Tree Transplantation Policy 2020 under which a minimum of 80 per cent of trees affected by a development or construction project will need to be compulsorily transplanted.
According to the gazette notification, released, recently, the policy mentioned about the planting 10 saplings as compensatory norm if one tree was supposed to be cut for development projects, implies 1:10 ratio.
From now onwards, the tree authority of Delhi shall be the apex body responsible for regular monitoring of the implementation of the prescribed procedure for tree transplantation.
The new TTP-20 further read, the criteria for the selection of trees for felling and transplantation have been included. No tree shall be unnecessarily removed in the area identified for development projects by the applicant.
“Trees should be properly preserved, and no trees should be unnecessarily removed in development projects. When on-site preservation is not possible, scientific transplantation of all the affected trees shall be the new norm instead of felling of trees. At least 80 percent of the trees that are affected by developmental activities and cannot be preserved on-site shall be required to be transplanted,” it read.
The notification further emphasised on compensatory plantation include the present norm of carrying out compensatory plantation in the component of ten times - 10:1, for every tree affected by developmental activity in city shall continue, in addition to the requirement for carrying out transplantation.
“ The compensatory plantation shall be required to be done for each felled and transplanted tree. To ensure maximum chances of survival of saplings or trees planted through the compensatory plantation, it shall be mandatory for all trees planted to be a minimum of 6 feet in height and area as well as individual seedlings/trees to be geo-tagged,” the gazette read.
From now onwards, there will be new proper procedure that is required to be followed for Tree Transplantation at any project site.
This means that a tree survey shall be carried out at the time of project feasibility assessment and site identification to obtain the required information for developing site planning and tree preservation proposals. The applicant shall select one of the technical agencies among the agencies empanelled for carrying out tree transplantation work.
While committees will be responsible for carrying out regular monitoring of all projects involving compensatory plantation or tree transplantation of 100 or more saplings in their local areas and to certify their tree survival rate at the end of one year.
To ensure the maintenance of green area, the local committees (ward orassembly level) comprising citizen groups, professionals and experts shall be constituted to conduct regular social audits of the transplanted trees.
To keep records on trees, their numbers and geo tagging, the Department of Forests and Wildlife shall keep a detailed and up to date record on its website every month of every application approved for tree felling under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.
Interestingly, in Delhi, the scientific transplantation of various species will be done with the help of research methods following the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
A dedicated Tree Transplantation cell shall be established in the Department, to facilitate tree transplantation.
It is pertinent to mention that the land owning agency - Delhi Development Authority had requested the Delhi government to revise compensatory plantation policy.
