Sanjay Van expansion on cards

Buoyed by the encouraging response to its forest restoration drive in Mehrauli-South central ridge, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has planned an expansion of Sanjay Van — spread over 784 acres along the Aravalli hills.

As part of its spreading out project, the authority plans to plant about 1.5 lakh saplings in the green areas before the onset of monsoon.

Udai Pratap Singh, vice chairman, DDA said, “We have a committee — comprising environmentalists and volunteers — which is preparing a detailed programme for the plantation drive. It will begin before the rainy season in the Capital. About 1.5 lakh plantlets native to Aravali Range will be planted,” he said.

Air vice marshal (retired), Vinod Rawat, founder of Working with Nature (WWN) said seedlings proposed to be placed in the forest area will be brought from Rajasthan and Gujarat. “We have planned to grow 1-1.5 lakh native trees in Sanjay Van and the area near Sultan Garhi tomb. Our thrust is on plants with medicinal qualities such as Guggal (Commiphora wightii), Amla (Indian gooseberry), Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), and Bael (Aegle marmelos) including Khejdi (Prosopis cineraria), Dhak ( Butea monosperma), Kumttha ( Acacia modesta), and Khair ( Acacia catechu),” he said.

Rawat is working with DDA to preserve and restore Sanjay Van since 2010 when the body launched a massive drive to revive the forest area.

“The decision has come after the success of restoration of Sanjay Van with the help of conservation and reintroduction of native species over the last seven years,” he said.

AS PART OF THE SPREADING OUT PROJECT FOR SANJAY VAN, DDA PLANS TO PLANT THE SAPLINGS BEFORE THE MONSOON