Contrary to popular perception that Delhi’s green cover is shrinking, a series of initiatives launched by the City Government’s Forest Department has increased the forest areas from 20.08 per cent to 20.22 per cent in the past two years. To further increase this cover, the Forest Department, which used to set a target of 10 lakh tree plantations every year, has increased it further by five lakh mid-size trees this year.
The AAP Government has also made fervent appeals to people to plant as many trees as they can in open spaces. The city legislators along with officials of the department have, on a regular basis, been carrying out plantation drives in their respective constituencies.
As per the India’s National Forest Policy, 1988, all States have to maintain at least 33 per cent of their geographical area under forest and tree cover. The forest cover of the city, spread across 1,483 sq. km, had increased from six per cent in 1999 to 20.8 per cent in 2013 chiefly due to plantation activity carried out in non-forest areas. Now, the green cover has further increased to 20.22 per cent in the past two years.
Buoyed by the success of the plantation drive, a senior official said, “This year we are going to plant a total of 15 lakh trees. These will include five lakh shrubs, basically mid-size trees, which we will plant along the roads and in open patches to further increase our green cover.”
The officer further said, “Our green drive will not only increase the forest cover but will also reduce noise pollution on busy and congested roads. We will also be adding canopies in open patches of our parks.”
Currently, if any individual or agency cuts a single tree in the city, the one responsible for this is bound to plant five trees in any open patch. In addition, the Forest Department on its part also plants five trees. So far, the department has planted about four lakh trees in various parts of the city.
The target for plantation of 15 lakh trees will not be met alone by the Forest department. In fact, the Government has set targets for plantation of trees for other agencies as well. For instance, New Delhi Municipal Corporation will be planting one lakh trees. Even TATA Discom has taken up a target of planting about 15,000 trees.
Asked what type of trees are generally planted in Delhi, a senior Forest department official said trees like neem, jamun and arjuna were planted along the Yamuna river bed. “For upper and slow growing areas, particularly in south Delhi, we use thorny trees. These trees too grow slowly”.