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The state government has acted somewhat in discouraging felling of trees by hiking the security deposit for cutting down trees and the compensation cost for the loss of greenery under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.<\/p>\n
For every tree that is cut a security deposit of Rs. 34,500 instead of the erstwhile figure of Rs. 28,000 needs to be paid, and for compensatory plantation Rs. 15,000 is to be refunded.<\/p>\n
For commercial projects, the rates for tree-cutting are on the higher side, Rs. 57,000 for each tree and a refundable component of Rs. 25,000 for ensuring compensatory plantation by the project authority.<\/p>\n
The current AAP government at Delhi is said to be dwelling on raising the amount further.<\/p>\n
While the above may be true the city government has not shied away from issuing contrary orders in the name of \u201cpublic interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recently it called for removal of trees from 46 hectares of land for the redevelopment of Delhi Development Authority\u2019s 18-hole Qutub Golf Course at Lado Sarai.<\/p>\n
This is not an exceptional case as in 2013-14 and 2014-15 the number of trees felled for various development projects were 8,196 and 6,058 respectively.<\/p>\n
As the city is left with very few of the 26 notified forests, the High Court has come down heavily on the Delhi government, Public Works Department, DDA, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Army, and sought immediate enquires on the number of trees cut and number of trees planted in various areas.<\/p>\n
In the posh southern suburban areas in Gurgaon too, the awareness to conserve trees is on the upward swing as non-governmental organizations like NGO Haryali have urged the National Green Tribunal and Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon to ensure removal of \u201cencroachments choking trees\u201d that crop up when roads, parking spaces or sidewalks are built.<\/p>\n
There have been mass plantation drives, one of them being spearheaded by the \u201cArt of Living\u201d foundation, for planting more than 2,000 trees across various sectors.<\/p>\n
The necessity of green spaces in promoting mental and physical health and climate cannot be established more and the value of the trees to environment is a symbiotic one.<\/p>\n
Statistics reveal that in the last decade more than 35,000 people have been reported dead due to acute respiratory infections across the country.<\/p>\n
These were some of the figures quoted by the Union Environment Ministry that normally contests connections between air pollution and respiratory health.<\/p>\n
Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar in his response to members of the Upper House of Parliament said, \u201cAir pollution is known to be one of the aggravating factors for many respiratory ailments and cardiovascular diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis etc.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the 69th<\/sup>\u00a0Independence Day celebrations as well he elucidated that \u201cjan bhagidari\u201d or people\u2019s participation and a \u201cconsultative and cooperative\u201d approach, as also referred to in Prime Minister, Narendra Modi\u2019s speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, would be employed towards the central government\u2019s aim of a \u201cClean India, Green India.\u201d<\/p>\n Considering the uncertainty attached to the greenery of Delhi and no official redressal mechanism in place, the only way forward can be supporting more and more local drives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Baoli at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. It is an indisputable fact that saving trees is the key to saving lives. But in reality conserving the environment is becoming an ever increasing, insurmountable task. For the past few decades India\u2019s green cover is undergoing steady erosion. Even in the case of its national capital, Delhi,…<\/p>\n