FOREST DEPT TO TRAIN AGENCIES IN DELHI TO PRESERVE ECOLOGY DURING CONSTRUCTION

NEW DELHI: Following the orders of the Delhi high court, the city’s forest department has arranged for a workshop for all road-owning agencies, to apprise them of ways to preserve the ecology of an area while it carries out digging and construction activities.

The forest department on February 19 sent a meeting notice to all road-owning, construction and development agencies in Delhi, asking them to attend the workshop, where they will be given a walk-through on ways in which construction and digging work can carried out while also preserving the ecology of the area.

Along with officials from the forest department, the training session will be carried out by reputed experts in the field. Invitations have been sent out to Pradip Krishen, author and environmentalist, Prabhakar Rao, member of Kalpkrish, an environment action group, Vimlendu Jha, founder of environment NGO Swechha and a former independent member of Delhi’s Ridge Management Board, and Vallari Sheel, researcher and urban ecologist, who will also be discussing best practices with the agencies.

The workshop will be conducted on February 23.

“All officials and experts are requested to participate in the said workshop. In case of exigency, senior officials may depute representatives not less than a gazetted officer or equivalent,” the meeting notice issued by chief conservator forests (CCF) Nisheeth Saxena read.

The workshop will be attended by representatives from Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Public Works Department (PWD), the three municipal corporations, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi Cantonment Board etc.

This workshop was scheduled after the Delhi high court in an order issued on February 10, asked the Delhi government to initiate measures to sensitise agencies to the importance of preserving trees while undertaking civil construction work.