Delhi's green cover depletes

If one were to go by the government's allocation towards keeping Delhi green, one would go green with envy. Instead, environmentalists are seeing red.

In fact, they refute the government's claims that during the last few years, the forest cover in the city has increased.

Delhi State Environment and Forest Minister Deep Chand Bandhu has said that during the last four years, the forest cover had increased by 62 square kilometres. He also promised that this year's target would further enlarge the city's green umbrella.

But environmentalists are not buying this. Says Anumita Roy Chowdhary of Centre for Science and Environment, "Going by the original Master Plan for Delhi, the green areas have been encroached upon. The land owner agencies should take appropriate action as the situation seem to be worsening. The city is shaping up so haphazardly that the green areas are rather becoming endangered."

"The fact is that Delhi is gradually losing its green areas," says an environmentalist with Srishti, a non-government organisation. According to him, even the rural parts are being added to the urban conglomerate.

"The difference in green cover would show if there was improvement in the groundwater table level."

Environmentalists feel that only parts of Delhi are green. The parks maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) only have shrubs.

Says Ravi Datta, member of a resident welfare association, Malviya Nagar, "It is important for residents also to inculcate civic sense and not depend upon the government. But many times when the horticulture department plants fresh saplings, these are later pulled out by the other department due to digging up of roads for some purpose."

"In the recent past, several fully-grown shadier trees have been felled. These became victims due to projects like broadening of roads," he said. "Saplings planted in lieu of these trees have a high mortality rate. Moreover, it will take several years before they grow," he added.

The UN recognises that forests help conserve bio-diversity, battle climate change and protect watersheds. But while encroachments and blatant cutting of trees endanger the Ridge area, under the purview of Delhi Cantonment authorities, most tree plantation drives in other areas fail to have an impact due to the trees' high mortality rate.

There have been instances of illegal felling of trees in the protected Ridge area. Trees have been cut and dumped in the middle of some lanes along the Ridge mainly used by pedestrians. And the tree trunks are being used as road blocks. Moreover, apart from the 7,777 hectares of the Ridge, which has been declared as reserve forests, the other city forests are not protected. These are open to land use change. A few years ago, the city government had given permission to construct hotels in the forest near Vasant Kunj in South Delhi.

But according to government officials, such areas are substituted with alternate green areas. The environment ministry has been focussing on growing trees having both medicinal properties and that can absorb pollution.

The species to be planted include Neem, Jamun, Amaltas, Imli, Peepal, Kadam and Kachnar.
Besides their medicinal value, these trees absorb dust, noxious gases and particulate matter.

A ministry official informed that the department had identified three plots of land on the outskirts of the city for this purpose. At least 20 different varieties of trees and shrubs were short-listed for plantation in these areas. And once the trees mature and bear fruits, proper contracts would be signed with herbal medicine experts, who would extract medicines.

Even while the tussle between the government agencies and environmentalists goes on, citizens hope they will some day be able to enjoy nature in its pristine glory.


Contrasting claims

- Environment ministry claims the forest cover had increased by 62 square kilometre during the last four years.

- Environmentalists say the difference in green cover would show if there was improvement in the groundwater table level.

- The horticulture department plants fresh saplings, but the other department due to digging up of roads later pulls these out.

- Several fully-grown shadier trees have been felled due to projects like broadening of roads.

- Saplings planted in lieu of the felled trees have a high mortality rate.

- The 7,777 hectares of the Ridge area has been declared as reserve forests.

- The city forests are open to land use change.

- The environment ministry has been focussing on growing trees having both medicinal properties and that can absorb pollution.