India News | Two Years On, No 'land Bank' for Compensatory Plantation in Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Nearly two years after the Delhi Forest Department asked land-owning agencies to create a "land bank" for compensatory plantation of trees in the capital, no progress has been made on the idea and officials say it is unlikely to become a reality.

In mid-2020, the Forest Department had asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the development commissioner to create a pool of vacant plots to simplify and expedite the process of compensatory plantation.

Also Read | Remarks Against Prophet: Now, UAE Joins List of Islamic Nations Condemning Nupur Sharma's Statements.

"With the creation of a land bank, the DDA will not have to identify new land every time a project proposal comes up and agencies could approach the forest department directly," an official said.

Agencies undertaking developmental projects approach the DDA seeking land for compensatory plantations for trees felled for their projects.

Also Read | Moto G82 5G India Price Tipped Online: Report.

At multiple meetings, the DDA told the Forest Department it does not have land for compensatory plantation or afforestation and the few small parcels it has have already been committed for developmental projects.

"Since we do not have land for plantation, there is no question of a land bank now," a senior DDA official said.

With the problem of land shortage aggravating over the years, the DDA got compensatory plantation done in parks in some cases, the official shared.

Under the Master Plan of Delhi, it had been decided to set aside 15 per cent of the area for recreational land use under which all parks, greenbelts and forests are maintained.

"Against the 15 per cent area identified for recreational green use, the total forest and tree cover in the capital is now over 23 per cent as per the latest State of Forest Report published by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun," the official said.

"Most of the recreational green areas identified under the master plan are already saturated with plantations... Other vacant land parcels available in small patches are required for basic developmental needs of the citizens of Delhi," he said.

Citing a shortage of land in Delhi, the DDA had recently requested the Forest Department to revise the compensatory plantation scheme guidelines and bring down the number of saplings to be planted for every tree felled from 10 to two.

The Delhi government, however, rejected the request and set up a nine-member committee to suggest alternatives to overcome the shortage of land for tree plantation in the city.

It also asked the DDA to inform how much land is available for plantation in the capital.

The DDA also wrote to the Union Environment Ministry, requesting it to allow compensatory afforestation in neighbouring states for all projects undertaken in Delhi in view of the scarcity of land in the capital.

The agency said the ministry should at least relax the guidelines issued under the Forest Conservation Act to allow compensatory afforestation for the projects implemented by the central government and public sector undertakings on degraded forest land in the neighbouring states.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)