NEW DELHI: Delhi's alarmingly poor air quality has been making headlines round the world. Scientific reports and testimonies of people have given enough proof of the respiratory and cardiovascular diseases both children and adults have been suffering from.
Even stepping out for a morning walk, a cycle ride or a trip to the market can make you sick. Against such a gloomy backdrop, TOI has been introspecting on what can be done while the state government, Centre and judiciary are engaged in debating and driving policies to improve air quality.
Perhaps, the most effective step that one can take to improve air quality is to plant saplings and nurture them till they grow into big trees. This can protect us and the future generations from the adverse effects of air pollution. These trees can also make neighbourhoods less scorching in summer by improving the micro-climate. They will attract a variety of birds, improve biodiversity and restrict desertification in Delhi.
With this objective in mind, we are launching a TOI Green Drive with Hero MotoCorp and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on August 4. It aims to plant at least one lakh saplings on August 30 in Tilpat Valley in Maidan Garhi, south Delhi, a part of the Delhi ridge.
In the run-up to the big plantation day that is likely to see participation of more than 10,000 people - along with several spiritual organizations - TOI will organize plantation drives at Sanjay Lake in Mayur Vihar, Phase II; Sector 16, Dwarka; district park in Kalkaji (Aastha Kunj); Sidhola village, NH1, G T Road; Vishal Bagh to Ghoga Crossing; Bakoli village, NH1, G T Road; and Sector 28, Rohini. More than 2,000 saplings of Delhi's native species will be planted in each area.
Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung will inaugurate the drive on Tuesday at Sanjay Lake in Mayur Vihar, Phase II. Residents and children from 10 schools will be planting saplings here.
Though air pollution can primarily be checked by regulating its sources, such as vehi cles, thermal power plants, burning of waste such as dry leaves or garbage, and dust, sci entists and experts TOI consulted said plantations can have multiple benefits for Delhi's degrading environment.
CR Babu, Professor Emeritus, Delhi University, and the brain behind the biodiversity parks in the city, believes apart from reviving several Aravali forest species, the plantation drive can even bring back animals and bird species that disappeared long ago.
"Greenery can help in three ways. It can reduce the urban heat island effect which causes air pollution levels to rise. Green belts can stop the wind-blown dust from entering the city or neighbourhoods. It, of course, absorbs carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas...there are so many ways plantations can help," said Gufran Beig, project director, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
Delhi suffers massively from the urban heat island phenomenon - certain urban areas are extremely hot compared to others with less concretization or more green cover. A study by Indian Institute of Technology, for instance, had found several parts of Delhi were sizzling in summer - Connaught Place, Sitaram Bazar and Bhikaji Cama Place, for instance, had recorded a difference of about 8.3 degree Celsius in temperature from their surrounding areas. Ozone, a highly hazardous gas, is known to rise in heat islands because it's created due to chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide in the presence of sunlight and high temperature.PM2.5 particles also remain suspended in the heat at these pollution hotspots.
A US Forest Service and Davey Institute study on impact of trees on PM2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) found that urban trees and forests are saving an average of one life every year per city. In New York City, trees save an average of eight lives every year by countering particulate pollution. Delhi, often described to be a harsh city because of its extreme and prolonged summer, requires shade. Urban forests can create the much-needed canopy cover and a carbon sink, bring back birds, grow fruits and flowers and bring down the temperature in the area.
Environmentalists are excited that the TOI Green Drive will help rejuvenate a part of the Delhi ridge that has become highly degraded over the years.Wedged between Sainik Farms and Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, the 80ha Tilpat Valley is important because of its ability to retain water in several natural deep pits in the area. The catchment has degraded because of the shrinking forest cover here.
The TOI Green Drive is supported by BLK Super Specialty Hospital as medical partner, WWF-India as NGO partner and Times NIE.
