New Delhi: To ensure beter care of trees, Delhi government has decided to set up of a Call Centre for registering complaints on tree cuttings. The residents have been facing difficulties in registering complaints on tree cutting/felling and apprehensions of such incidents resulting in obstacles for the Department in taking a proactive step. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today discussed this issue at a review meeting on preparation for the next greening drive in the Capital city. The meeting was attended by the Secretary (Environment) Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests A.K. Shukla and other officers of Forest Department.
Dikshit instructed the Department of Environment to focus around Malls, Bus Depots, Aero city, School & College grounds, Government offices apart from giving more attention on nurturing the planted saplings. The planted saplings need to be taken care properly. She further directed the Department to chalk out a comprehensive action plan to plant between 10-15 lakh saplings during ensuing monsoon season.
The Department is planning a well-conceived media campaign to exhort one and all to join in Plantation Drive. The Department had raised more than 45 lakh tree saplings since 2000-01 and other agencies have raised more than 82 lakh of saplings. Smt. Dikshit also asked the Department to continue the similar zeal and seriousness during Plantation Drive this year. The Department would made available saplings for free at various petrol pumps, mother dairy booths, government offices and would also involve school children, eco-clubs, RWAs, trade associations, NGOs and all other interested agencies in Plantation Drive. The Chief Minister underlined the need of improvement in survival rate of planted saplings. Department achieved survival rate of over 80% in the past.
The issue of compensatory plantation was also discussed in the meeting. Smt. Dikshit directed the Department to strictly enforce provisions of the Delhi Protection of Trees Act, 1994. The Department has raised 2.54 lakh saplings as compensatory plantation on behalf of the user agencies since 2010-11 as a commitment of raising five tree saplings for every felling permission under the Act. Smt. Dikshit also instructed the Department to keep a close eye on the DMRC as around 15,000 trees are proposed for felling under DMRC Phase-III and the land has also been identified for compensatory plantation by the Department.
The Department had raised around four lakh saplings on different locations at Kakrola, Issapur, Mangeshpur, Sultanpur Dabas, Kharkhari-Jat Mall, Qutubgarh, Revla-Khanpur, Mukhmelpur, Ayanagar, Hindon Cut, etc. As per third party verification of these plantation, the survival rate of saplings is 80% and above. Smt. Dikshit added that there is need to preserve and protect 42 city forests developed by the Department. She further instructed the Department to get removed all the signboards, names, advertisements, any kind of signages, electric wires, nails and high tension cables from the trees.
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