NEW DELHI: Ahead of the monsoon season in Delhi, a recent study found that the Aravalli Biodiversity Park helps retain nearly three million litres of rainwater on an annual basis, reducing surface runoff that can lead to waterlogging and urban flooding.
The 692-acre restored forest is doing more than providing a patch of green amid the urban sprawl, the study said.
The study pointed out that urban forests with roughly 2.02 lakh trees help prevent nearly three million litres of surface runoff annually, replenishing groundwater reserves and helping slow the movement of rainwater across the ground, allowing more water to infiltrate the soil instead of rapidly flowing over paved surfaces.
Further, the researchers said that the Aravalli Biodiversity Park is located in an important groundwater aquifer recharge zone and thereby plays a key role in replenishing underground water reserves.
The study, titled “Structure, ecosystem services and economic evaluation of native tree diversity: a case study of the restored Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Delhi, India”, was carried out by researchers from the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Biodiversity Parks Programme, Department of Finance and Business Economics and Satyawati College, all affiliated with Delhi University.
The park also plays a significant role in improving air quality. The study also estimated that its trees remove around 126.89 tonnes of air pollutants every year, generating environmental benefits valued at nearly Rs 1.89 crore. Meanwhile, the Biodiversity Park was also found to function as a growing carbon sink. It was estimated that its trees currently store around 8,360 tonnes of carbon, valued at nearly Rs 11.34 crore.