Plantation season starts in Delhi

The New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Jal Board in separate drives planted more than one lakh saplings of trees and shrubs on Saturday across various locations including road sides, schools and at least two embassies in Delhi.

It is August and Delhi is almost in the midst of the monsoon season. With conditions ripe, various government agencies have already started their plantation drives to make the city greener.

It is August and Delhi is almost in the midst of the monsoon season(Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)

The New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Jal Board in separate drives planted more than one lakh saplings of trees and shrubs on Saturday across various locations including road sides, schools and at least two embassies in Delhi.

The NDMC planted around 8,000 trees and 27,000 shrubs in 50 schools, two embassies and 10 locations along roadsides. 10,000 school students participated in the drive.

“The avenue trees in certain stretches in New Delhi area are getting aged. Therefore a special drive has been made to ensure the plantation, so that the avenue trees might be retained,” said Anil Baijal, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, according to a release issued by NDMC.

The DJB’s drive was conducted across 27 locations where one lakh saplings of trees and shrubs were planted.

Senior forest department officials said this time the combined target of all agencies in Delhi is to plant around 23 lakh saplings. The forest department’s own drive would also start soon.

Trees and shrubs not only help to bring down pollution levels but they help in mitigating extreme temperature, ground water recharge and attract birds, insects and other animals.

Delhi’s green cover has increased from around 20.2 per cent of the total area during 2015 to 20.6 per cent during 2017. But according to the State Forest Report 2017 both very dense forest cover and medium dense forest cover have declined in the national capital.