The Hindu : New Delhi News : Jal Board exceeds tree plantation target

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007
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New Delhi

Jal Board exceeds tree plantation target

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

The Board has now invited the State Forest Department to verify its claims

NEW DELHI: For once the Delhi Jal Board has not just met the target set for it, but has far exceeded it. The water utility undertaking, often at the receiving end of public anger for failing to supply enough water, has given the city's green cover a boost by planting 41,800 trees in the past one year.

The Jal Board was expected to plant 21,000 trees under the State Environment Department's "Greening Delhi-Action Plan 2006-07". It went ahead and planted more than double the number.

"The Chief Executive Officer of the Jal Board had volunteered to plant 30,000 trees, but by the end of the exercise we discovered that it had actually planted more than 41,000 trees," said a senior official.

The Board has now invited the State Forest Department to verify its claims. "We are not bragging, we are open to audit. The Board has asked the Forest Department to authenticate the claim," the official said.

Sustaining the greens

To sustain its greening initiatives, the Board has now decided to offer incentives to its horticulture department. To keep the motivation levels up, there will be an annual competition to choose the best horticulture work, the best horticulture worker and officer.

"There is also a proposal to review the horticulture cadre and fill all vacant posts and conduct quarterly review and field inspections of the work that has been done by the department," said a senior Jal Board official, adding: "While we are trying to augment the city's supply of water, we are also doing our bit for the environment by carrying out an extensive greening exercise, which will in turn help add to the water table in the city."

The public utility has put to use the large tracts of land it possesses across the city for the greening exercise, which has been planned meticulously.

"The Jal Board has about 3,850 acres, there are about 8.64 acres at the headquarters alone, 160 acres at the Coronation Park, and more space at the 25 zonal offices. With so much land at our disposal, we planned the plantation drive," the official said.

The Bhagirathi plant has been earmarked for `neem' all along its periphery, Haidairpur plant will have `jamun' trees and other places will have trees like `babool' and `bargad'.

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