The Hindu : New Delhi News : Nod for Parks Society to improve green cover for Delhi

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Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
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Nod for Parks Society to improve green cover for Delhi

Staff Reporter

Aims to improve the green belt from 18 per cent at present to 33 per cent
Society will undertake tree plantation along with RWAs and NGOs

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved formation of a Delhi Parks and Gardens Society that seeks to create “green sinks” in the nearly 15,000 parks and gardens across the Capital.

Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the move had been initiated to expand the green cover of Delhi from around 18 per cent at present to 33 per cent and also to provide proper places for playing, recreation and walking to people across the city.

Ms. Dikshit said under the scheme the Society would undertake tree plantation and work with residents’ welfare associations, non-government organisations and local agencies to fill up vacant spaces in the gardens and parks and maintain them professionally.

On the other hand, she said, the Delhi Government would provide a grant under its “My Delhi, I Care” scheme for these parks to help in their proper maintenance. Also under the plan an eco-friendly outlet would be created outside each garden and park for covering the maintenance expenses and making each green space self-sustaining.

As for the Society, Ms. Dikshit said while 14,000 parks under it would be those that are administered by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, 1,400 belonging to the New Delhi Municipal Council and 14 of the Public Works Department. Parks under the Delhi Development Authority are, however, not covered by the scheme.

Since the MCD is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and therefore some opposition would be witnessed to the scheme, Ms. Dikshit said all groups concerned would be spoken to.

“We will tell them that we would only be able to provide Government funds for these parks under the scheme. And we are hopeful that they will see reason in it as the interests of the people at large and children in particular are at the heart of this scheme. Moreover, the jurisdiction of the parks or the role of the staff involved in their upkeep will not change with the scheme.”

The Chief Minister said an impression had been created recently that Delhi’s green cover, which has increased in the last nine years from about 36 sq. km to about 325 sq. km, had decreased.

This, she said, was not true as the Delhi Government had been strictly following the policy of compensatory forestation under which ten trees are planted for every one cut in close proximity or 20 are planted in a distant city forest area.

Also, she said, the number of city forests had increased from 14 to 23 with the addition of nine new ones.

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