Rapid concretisation has taken away more than half of the total green space in New Delhi.
The civic agency also reduced the number of new trees being planted every year. Officials said the annual target of tree plantation drive conducted by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is gradually declining. However, to uphold greenery of the city, NDMC started a ‘Mass Plantation Campaign’ from Thursday onwards that will go on till August 21.
The civic body’s target has substantially reduced by over half this year. It has planned to plant only 2,808 trees in 2013-14, which indicates a steep decline from its tree plantation count in the previous years. It was during Commonwealth Games in 2010-11, that the city had undergone a ‘green revolution’ with nearly 20,000 trees being planted in lutyens’ Delhi. This later reduced to planting around 6,000 trees in 2011-12, which further came down to 5,700 in 2012-13.
Till now in this financial year, the agency has planted 367 trees. “In April, 135 trees were planted, followed by 85 in the month of May. In June, 147 trees were planted,” informed an official. Explaining the reason for lesser number of trees being planted each year, a senior NDMC official said, “There is no space left in areas under our jurisdiction to plant trees, as there is so much of infrastructural development happening all around. Whenever a tree falls due to storm or heavy rain, we replace it with a new and healthy one. Besides, we keep sowing seeds and plant saplings in all the parks and gardens within our limits.”
Meanwhile, in an attempt to make the city greener, the civic body has also begun a Plantation and Environmental Awareness drive from Thursday. The areas where saplings will be planted include Talkatora Garden, parks in Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Pandara Park, Bharti Nagar, Chanakyapuri, Kalibari Marg, laxmi Bai Nagar, Jor Bagh, Gole Market, BKS Marg and Nehru Park.
“We will plant 1,404 trees and nearly 25,000 shrubs during this drive. Personalities like Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Ajay Maken will also contribute in the drive,” said an official.