NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a plantation drive to fight air pollution in the capital under which it plans to plant nearly 85,000 trees and about 5.20 lakh shrubs and ornamental plants this year. The capital had developed as many as 17 ‘mini forests’ last year and this year it plans to develop 20 more ‘mini forests’, said corporation officials.
“In order to fight the menace of air pollution and to minimise adverse effects of global warming, MCD has been making all out efforts by ensuring massive plantations in its area. The Corporation has set out an ambitious target of plantation for this year,” said the official.
According to officials, to achieve the goal, the civic agency has identified parks, regional offices, corporation schools, dispensaries, roadsides, community centres, among others, where the planting will be carried out.
This apart, the civic body has developed ‘mini forests’ by planting about 8,000 additional trees at 17 places last year. These ‘mini-forests’ have been developed at places like C-2 block Keshav Puram, park in front of fire station along Shankar Road, park of Azadpur vegetable market, etc.
This year, ‘mini forests’ will be developed at a total of 20 locations like P U block Pitampura, KL Sharma Park Paschim Vihar, PHC Narela, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park Outram Lane, Welcome, Yamuna Vihar, Sunder Nagri, Nand Nagri etc. To take proper care of the planted trees, the three erstwhile corporations of Delhi have got the third party audit done for the plantation in the last five years.