For the past few years, Delhi’s (in)famous air has been on the front pages of some of India’s leading dailies much too often. From sparking debates about the future of the national capital to creating awareness about existing pollution levels in other metro cities, the need to take environment conservation more seriously has become evident. In fact, the authorities finally seem to have come on board.
The national capital of Delhi will soon have a wall of trees, 31 lakh to be precise, encircling the region to protect it from dust storms originating from Rajasthan and other nearby cities. The protected region will also include the Aravali and Yamuna forest areas. Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Forest Department, the three municipal corporations of Delhi, NDMC, and CPWD will be responsible for planting a certain number of trees each. They will also be responsible for nurturing these trees for the next two years, after which an independent body will take over and conduct a “survival audit” to take further actions. This natural shield will also absorb pollution-causing particulate matters in the atmosphere and filter them out of the air.
Scientific methods have been used to choose the kind of trees that will be planted under this scheme. These include native trees like pilkhan, goolar, mango, and mahua, as they do not let dust particles rise above in the sky because of low atmospheric pressure. Trees like pepul, neem, banyan, berry, amla and jamun have also been selected as they are known to release oxygen in large quantities. The peepul tree, particularly, will be planted in huge numbers as it produces oxygen round the clock.
Launched on 7 July 2018, officials have said that the scheme should be completed in about two years time.
You can read the full report by The Indian Express here.
Feature Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times
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