The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi’s green cover goes up: Report

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Saturday, Feb 23, 2008
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Delhi’s green cover goes up: Report

Staff Reporter

Cabinet expresses satisfaction and pleasure over the increase in tree cover
‘Efforts to increase the green cover to about 25 per cent of all area before Games’

NEW DELHI: The forest and tree cover in Delhi which was 265 square kilometres in 2003 had increased by 18 sq.km. to 283 sq. km. by 2005. This has been stated by the State of Forest Report -- issued by the Forest Survey of India under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest -- that was placed before the Delhi Cabinet on Friday.

The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction and pleasure over the “substantial increase” in forest and tree cover in Delhi as corroborated by the report. At the Cabinet meeting, it was stated that now due to the concerted efforts of the Department of Environment and Forest of Delhi Government, the forest and tree cover in Delhi has actually crossed 300 sq. km.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit informed the media that the Forest Survey of India has been doing forest cover assessment using remote sensing technology every two years, and the 10th Report of the Status of the Forest Cover as in 2005, was released in February, 2008.

According to the report, the forest cover of the country has been estimated at 23.4 per cent of the total geographical area. When compared to the 2003 figures, there is a marginal loss reported of 728 sq. km. on account of tsunami losses in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and submergence of forest land in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on account of dam construction, and the rest in North East due to shifting cultivation.

As for Delhi, she said, it has a total geographical area of 1,483 sq. km. and the total green cover of Delhi according to above report was 283 sq. km. in 2005 or 19.09 per cent of the total geographical area. Of this green cover, 107 sq. km. is on account of tree cover and 176 sq. km. due to forest cover.

Despite several infrastructural projects and large scale construction, Ms. Dikshit said it is heartening to know that the FSI data has corroborated the Delhi Government’s claim that the green cover of Delhi has actually increased. The Chief Minister said now all efforts would be made to concentrate on East Delhi, North East Delhi and South Delhi for increasing the green cover. The Department of Environment and Forest is now making efforts to increase the green cover in Delhi to about 25 per cent of all area before the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

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