Delhi CM promises to make up loss of trees cut

New Delhi, Apr 15: Sharing citizens' concern, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has agreed to a proposal to set up a Tree Authority that will device policy to 'make up' loss of trees cut for constructing various infrastructural projects in the national capital.

In a meeting with representatives of NGOs and enlightened citizens, where concern was expressed over felling of trees to make way for various road and transport infrastructural projects in the city, she agreed to set up a Tree Authority under the Tree Protection Act that would develop a joint mechanism to make up the loss of the trees cut in a planned manner.

A memorandum, given to her at the meeting, sought clear marking of trees, regular monitoring of health of trees, 'on site'/compensatory afforestation and development of dedicated 'tree lanes'.

The Chief Minister assured that all efforts would be made to compensate tree cutting at the same place, however, where this was not possible compensatory plantation would be ensured at nearest available land.

She also reiterated her government's commitment to plant at least ten trees for every one tree that was cut for development purposes.

Pained at 'slaughter' of trees and vegetation in the name 'development' veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar noted, ''Delhi was a place of distances when I settled here after migrating from Pakistan in the mid-1947. A swathe of vacant lands gave the city its vastness and depth; otherwise it was clusters of habitation, surrounded by thick wild growth. There were thick trees and bits of forests.'' ''All that has gone now and a jungle of cement and steel has come up to the disappointment of citizens who are beginning to be conscious of their surroundings. What has been done is a violation of human rights -- the right to clean air, clean water and clean environs,'' he said.

State forest department on its part claimed a lot had been done in the past few years to check depletion of city's green cover. During 2006-07, 17.86 lakh saplings were planted against a target of 17.11 lakh, it said. Further, nine city forests covering more than 262 hectares were planned to be developed in Isapur, Hirankudna, Rewla Khanpur, Khakhari Jatmal, Sultanpur Dabs, Kunqeshpur, Kutubgarh, Auchandi and Harewali.

And apart from this plantations in temple premises, around water bodies, road dividers and roundabouts were also being undertaken.

Tree saplings were being distributed free of cost from 13 government nurseries besides some selected Mother Dairy outlets, Dilli Haat and 439 CNG and petrol pumps across the capital, according to Delhi Environment Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan.

His cabinet colleague, Urban Development Minister Ashok Kumar Walia said advance compensatory drive in the form of 'Tree Banks' were being created to ease the 'damage' that could be caused because of felling of tree for development projects.

Indigenous medicinal and aromatic trees like Neem, Arjun and Shiris were being planted to improve the climate of Delhi, he added.

''Adequate emphasis has also been given in the Delhi Master Plan 2021 for substantially enhancing the capital's green cover,'' said union Minister for Urban Development and city MP Ajay Maken.

Sensitive to public concern, state transport department and Delhi Metro Rail Corp had also made changes in their plans to cause the least amount of damage to city's flora while laying the High Capacity Bus System corridor and metro network respectively.

Though man-made plantation could not ecologically replace natural forest, but may be something was better than nothing at all, experts from Delhi University's School of Environment Studies added.

UNI