DELHI’S GREEN COVER INCREASED BY 2,500 HECTARES, SAYS GOPAL RAI

NEW DELHI: Noting that national capital’s green cover has increased by 2,500 hectares, or 21.88% of the total land area, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said 1.1 million additional trees will be planted in the city.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, Rai said the Delhi government will also organise a “wildlife conservation awareness campaign” at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary from October 2. “To curb pollution in Delhi, tree plantation drives have been great contributors...today (Tuesday) we held a meeting with the high-ranking officials of the forest department in which we noted that 2,232,000 of our target of planting 3.3 million trees has been achieved,” said Rai.

He added, “We started working on this pledge right from Van Mahotsav and have achieved so much of this target already. We are planning to plant all these trees by March 2022 and it was stated in the report which came up in the meeting.”

Rai said that “when the fight against pollution was started by the Arvind Kejriwal government in 2015-16”, 1,651,000 trees were planted, followed by 2,475,000 trees in 2016-17; 1,600,000 trees in in 2017-18; 2,895,000 trees in 2018-19; and 2,870,000 trees in 2019-20.

“The forest survey of India has mentioned two categories of terrain for the purpose of green cover -- hilly and plains. It says that hilly areas should have at least 60% of their land under green cover and the plains should have at least 20%. In 2019 itself, the report by the FSI stated that Delhi had 21.88% of its area under the green belt. In 2015, the total area of Delhi was 1,483 sqkm. Out of this, 325 sqkm green belt (amounting to 21.88% of the area) was developed in Delhi,” he said.

“From October 2 to 8, we will hold a Van Jeev Samrakshan Abhiyan programme at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Activities will be carried out to sensitise people. We are committed to preserving the environment,” he said.