Delhi has always been on the radar for being one of the most polluted cities in the world. Whether it is because of crop burning or vehicle exhaust emissions, Delhi’s air quality always suffered. However, the government is leaving no stones unturned to boost the capital’s air quality, and one of the significant steps is to plant more trees. To boost the green cover, the forest department will create four more forests, some of which are likely to be ready by the end of this year. Delhi Breathes Cleanest August Air In 4 Years In 2020.
Old Forests In The City
The city already has an expanse of 12 forests. The other forests that were recently developed include Nasirpur (28 hectares), Taj Enclave (56 hectares) Alipur (19.5 hectares), Mitraon (35.15 hectares), and Hauz Rani (28 hectares).
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New Forests In The Captial
The new ones are being developed at Jaunapur, Aya Nagar, Dera Mandi and Mamurpur, each of which will include butterfly zones, cacti gardens, herbal patches and water bodies. Go On An Epic Bus Journey From Delhi To London In 70 Days Covering 18 Countries.
Recreational Zones In New Forests
A forest department official mentioned that they are looking to replicate successful forest models like or Garhi Mandu near Shahdara and Taj Enclave near Geeta Colony. The department also plans to add walking tracks, bridges, gazebos to cross water bodies and recreational zones for activities like yoga.
Growth Of Delhi’s Green Expanse
Delhi’s green cover has shown rapid growth in the past few years. It currently stands at 21.9% In 2017, it was 20.6% and 20.2% (299.8 sq km) in 2015. The forest department officials have an internal target of 25% green cover by 2025, which would be helped by the creation of the city forests. With the creation of city forest, there will be more area to plant saplings. This ends the requirement of creating mini green zones across the capital. Did you know Delhi government had set a target of planting over two crore saplings over the next five years?
With the current rate of the green plantation, reaching the 25% green cover target in the capital looks quite possible. What do you think?