Plantation plan hits land hurdle

The Times of India , Friday, March 20, 2015
Correspondent : TNN
NEW DELHI: The environment minister, Asim Ahmed Khan, has asked the forest department to increase the city's green cover substantially, starting this year, as a strategy to improve air quality. Some forest officials have reported they have been asked to raise Delhi's forest cover by 5% over the next few years. While the idea sounds good on paper, the department claims there is no land available for such dense plantations.

"Land is a factor," said chief conservator of forests and wildlife warden A K Shukla. So far, large scale plantations have been carried out only on the city's outskirts such as Najafgarh, Asola, Nangloi and Alipur, but even those patches are getting exhausted. Other prospective areas are already with various agencies such as Delhi Development Authority, public works department and New Delhi Municipal Council.

"After the minister asked the department to increase forest cover, we decided to plant 15 lakh trees this monsoon. Our staff has identified land banks to the south of the city, around Asola Bhatti sanctuary. But those targets will be finalized next month," said a forest department official.

The department claimed it planted nine lakh saplings in 2014. "We are also planning to utilize the space on both sides of signal-free highways and what is available with other development agencies. We may even use stretches along drains," another official said.

While the department is negotiating space for plantation, Tree Authority members say it needs to think out of the box. When it last met close to one-and-a-half years ago, Tree Authority recommended parks in residential areas be developed like "tree lots" so that they can absorb pollution from congested areas close by. "We have been advocating that parks be used as tree lots where only species that can withstand pollution from traffic are planted," said Prabhakar Rao of Kalpavriksh and Tree Authority member.

Rao suggests planting peepal, gulmohar, bargad and pilkhan that withstand air pollution better compared to other species in parks. A Delhi University's analysis of trees at ITO and ISBT, two major traffic intersections, found that kassod (Cassia siemea) had the maximum capacity to absorb pollutants, followed by gulmohar.

In a similar study published in the Fresenius environment bulletin, researchers studied plant varieties at Jagatpur Gaon, Sangam Vihar, Gandhi Vihar and traffic intersections at Vasant Vihar. Biochemical analysis of the plants showed that castor oil plant and vilayati babul act as air purifiers. In hilly areas adjacent to Vasant Vihar, neem trees were found to be very tolerant to pollution.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Plantation-plan-hits-land-hurdle/articleshow/46628393.cms
 


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