Govt intensifies plantation campaign to increase the green area in Delhi

New Delhi: The Delhi government has intensified the plantation campaign to increase the green area in national capital. Orders have been given to all departments to conduct a third-party audit. The Delhi government had set a target of planting 43 lakh saplings this year. It has already surpassed it by planting more than 47 lakh saplings so far.

To review Special Tree Plantation Campaign, Environment & Forests Minister Gopal Rai has called a meeting of senior officials of all concerned departments on February 21. He chaired a high-level meeting with senior officers of the Forest Department yesterday. After the meeting, Rai said, “a meeting has been called at the Delhi Secretariat on February 21 with the senior officials of all concerned departments/agencies regarding the special campaign for tree plantation.”

He further said, “The amount of green area in Delhi has significantly increased as a result of several initiatives by the government. The government had set a goal of planting/distributing roughly 43 lakh saplings this year under the Tree Plantation Campaign, and so far 47 lakh saplings have been planted/distributed in this direction. Additionally, as a result of the efforts of the Government, Delhi's green area, which was 20% in 2013, has expanded to 23.6% in 2021. Also, Delhi has surpassed all other cities in the nation in terms of per-capita forest cover.”

Rai informed, “so far about 47 lakh saplings have been planted/distributed by the departments as a part of tree plantation drive. Out of which, 10 lakh 80 thousand by the Forest Department, 5 lakh 47 thousand by the DDA, 5 lakh 23 thousand by the MCD, 2 lakh 73 thousand by the Education Department, 42 thousand by the DSIIDC, 13 thousand by the DUSIB, 3 lakh 86 thousand by the PWD, 30 thousand by the CPWD, 7 lakh 57 thousand by the NDMC, 1 lakh 3 thousand by the Delhi Jal Board, 26 thousand by the Northern Railway, 16 thousand by the Delhi Cantonment Board, 12 thousand by NDPL and 30 thousand by BSES and other departments were planted, and around 8 lakh saplings were distributed by different departments.”

The Minister ordered the officers of the Forest Department to get the details of tree plantation from the departments, as to where the saplings have been planted. In order to determine the success rate of the saplings planted in Delhi as part of the tree-planting programme, the concerned departments have also been directed to conduct a third-party audit.

Rai further appealed to the people of Delhi and said, “Everyone should make an effort to improve the environment of Delhi. This campaign will not only increase the green area of Delhi but also prepare a roadmap to fight the problem of pollution in future.”