India’s national capital is suffering the lowest air quality in the world and the government has successfully found a way to worsen the situation! While pollution is choking Delhi, the forest department has given clearance to cut nearly 16,500 trees in Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Mohammadpur, Kasturba Nagar and Sriniwaspuri.
While the need of the hour is to plant more number of trees in the pollution-infested city, the government is making every effort to desecrate even the existing green cover.
Fresh oxygen is quite overprized in Delhi, but the authorities had no hesitation to clear the green belt to provide parking spaces in the city. Seven major housing projects are set to take a toll on Delhi’s tree population. These projects are being implemented by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), which had earlier faced brickbats for approving the felling of 1,713 trees for the integrated exhibition complex at Pragati Maidan.
The fresh decision to remove trees along the green belt is ludicrous as well as callous and will have a bitter impact on Delhi’s environment. It may further deteriorate the air quality in Delhi, which already ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality index in the capital city touches extreme levels during winter months.
With the common man protesting on streets to fight this severe problem, the government is adopting bizarre and impractical approaches to address it. The ministers of the state have come up with a “brilliant” idea of planting samplings twice the number of trees being felled. Like that would work!
Studies have found that only 10 per cent of such new plantations survive and grow into trees. This would mean that Delhi’s green cover may drastically come down permanently once these 16,500 trees are cut. Moreover, constructing new commercial complexes and colonies in these spaces will lead to increased economic activity and further decline in air quality.
One can only hope that our “astute” politicians and ministers could have thought this before initiating such a move.
Women tie a banner on trees during the 'Save The Tree Campaign' in New Delhi | AFP
The decision to cut trees have sparked off much furore and public agitation in Delhi with residents in several parts of the city hitting the streets. Delhites have come together to raise their voice for this noble cause. They were seen hugging trees and tying rakhis to them. Many areas of Delhi witnessed reverberations of the Chipko Movement. The protests were organised under the banner of the ‘Delhi Trees SOS’ campaign and will continue for the next few days.
In an ideal situation, the government is expected to come forward and think about better alternatives. But in Delhi, idealism has turned into myth, where the parties are busy blaming each other over this insensitive decision.
The gravity of the problem further deepens when the decision lacks transparency. After the public outrage, the Centre and the Delhi government are in a blame game over the move to chop down the trees.
It is high time our politicos stopped being on warpath and worked out a strategy to save the capital city.
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publication.)