The Delhi Government has decided to carry out a massive plantation drive by planting around more than 23 lakh trees and shrubs, including 4, 25,000 free distribution of saplings during the current year 2019-20. The decision was taken in a meeting conveyed on Wednesday by Delhi Environment and Forests Minister Imran Hussain.
The Minister directed all the agencies to carry out third party audit of the trees/shrubs plantation done during the period 2015-18. The exercise should be completed within four months.
The officials said that this time in the plantation drive the local residents, resident welfare associations, market associations, school and college students and others will also be involved to green cover and make the Delhi - ‘a pollution free city’.
During the meeting, the Minister requested the greening agencies to carry out maximum plantation.
“The Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (DPGS) were directed to ensure free distribution of saplings so that the plantation drive could be carried out smoothly. All the greening agencies were directed to send the locations where plantation is proposed with at least one indicative geo coordinate along with target allocated for the location,’ said a government official.
Hussain also directed all greening agencies to set aside locations and targets for one day mass plantation tentatively scheduled in the third week of July, 2019 and the information is to be provided in consultation with Forest Department being the Nodal Agency. Hussain also expressed concern regarding low green plantation done by ‘Delhi Development Authority’ (DDA), ‘Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), and Health Department etc.
The meeting was attended by senior officers of forest department and horticulture wing of various greening agencies viz. all three municipal Corporations, DDA, ‘Delhi Parks & Gardens Society’, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Jal Board, BSES and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).