Forest dept plants over 1,000 saplings along Ghazipur drain to mask stench

To mask the stench from the Ghazipur drain, the Delhi forest department has started a mega plantation drive around the sewer, one of the largest in the city, senior officials said

To mask the stench from the Ghazipur drain, the Delhi forest department has started a mega plantation drive around the sewer, one of the largest in the city, senior officials said.

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Aditya Madanpotra, deputy conservator forests (central division), said the plantation drive along the Ghazipur drain started earlier this month and, so far, the department had planted nearly 1,100 saplings along the drain.

“The idea behind this drive is to filter out the foul smell from the drain and to increase the green cover in the area. This season, over 1,100 saplings have been planted along the drain,” said Madanpotra.

According to the government’s irrigation and flood control department records, the Ghazipur drain in north-east Delhi spans a length of 6.24km and has a catchment area of 6,741 hectares. The profuse discharge of untreated sewage into the drain has resulted in high toxicity and a foul stench permeating the areas nearby the drain. The regular dumping of solid waste has also worsened the situation, officials said.

Senior forest department officials said plantation along the Ghazipur drain is a pilot project, and if it yields the desired results, such drives will be carried out alongside other major drains in the city.

“The science behind increasing the green cover along a natural drain is that trees and shrubs absorb a large amount of pollutants and toxicity released from the drain. As years go by, and the area becomes greener, the trees will also act as a natural boundary and discourage encroachments on the drain,” said a forest official, requesting anonymity.

The official further said, “After some time, these trees and shrubs will create a natural ecosystem and help replenish the soil.”