‘Action to abate pollution’: Air Quality monitoring body raises Delhi’s annual plantation target

On its part, the Delhi government has already set a target of planting 3.6 million saplings this year.

After a series of meetings with the Delhi government over the last few weeks, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas on Wednesday said it has increased the annual plantation target for Delhi from 2.6 million saplings last year to 3.2 million this year, with officials saying that the focus will be on large-scale plantations and urban forestry techniques, such as Miyawaki forests, under the Greening Action Plan for Delhi 2022-23.

During April, anti-smog guns were used across the city to fight air pollution.  ((Photo: Arvind Yadav/HT))

On its part, the Delhi government has already set a target of planting 3.6 million saplings this year.

“Greening is one of the major actions for abatement of air pollution and the commission has been laying emphasis on large-scale greening and plantation as well as urban forestry initiatives including the Miyawaki technique across the Capital. Different departments and agencies concerned with greening in Delhi have been actively involved in finalising the road map for greening Delhi,” said the CAQM in a statement on Wednesday.

The Miyawaki forest technique sees thousands of native tree species grown closely together in a small patch of area.

Last month, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had announced Delhi’s plantation target of 3.6 million saplings for this year.

HT had earlier reported that shrubs will make a bulk of the plantation target this year, not just because of a paucity of space, but also because ground level vegetation is better at controlling dust pollution and will help make plantation exercises more meaningful.

Among the CAQM’s targets include planting of 2.million shrubs, 14,000 bamboos and over 600,000 trees, with CAQM also asking different agencies to carry out plantations on central verges.

“Timelines covering various activities, including site selection, pit digging, soil weathering, commencement of plantation, completion of plantation, weed removal, mortality refreshment, monitoring and replacement, are all part of the Greening Action Plan and have been conveyed to agencies,” said a CAQM official, stating the Miyawaki technique was suggested along boundaries of institutions, patches of open land and for filling areas between conventional plantation patches. “The progress of implementation of Greening Action Plan will also be monitored by the commission,” the official added.