Delhi govt's 'first' tree transplantation policy & smog tower to combat air pollution

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the state government has passed a tree transplantation policy. The chief minister said the trees will not only be cut, but they will be uprooted along with the roots to be placed somewhere else. 

While addressing a virtual press conference, Kejriwal highlighted that his government is against tree cutting, but many a times trees are fallen due to developmental projects out of compulsion as there is no alternative. Hence, the Delhi government has introduced this new policy, Kejriwal contended.

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'10 saplings plus transplantation of uprooted tree'

"The usual plantation policy says 10 saplings must be planted for one tree cut, a huge tree is some 400-500 year old, over which we plant 10 small saplings which we don't even know how long will they take to grow. Hence, Delhi cabinet today passed a tree plantation policy in which if a tree is cut, then not only 10 saplings will be planted but also the tree will be uprooted along with the roots, transported in a truck to another place and will be placed back to the ground so it can continue its existence," Kejriwal said.

"In any project in Delhi, 80% of the uprooted trees need to be transplanted and atleast 80% of the transplanted trees should survive we have to ensure that," he added.

Kejriwal said agencies whose track record is good need to be hired for this job and the full payment of these agencies will be disbursed only after a year after checking whether 80% of the uprooted and transplanted trees have survived or not. Delhi is the first in the country to pass this transplantation policy, Kejriwal contended.

He also made another announcement that Delhi government has decided to set up a Rs 20-crores smog tower in Connaught Place in addition to the Central govt's smog tower coming up in Anand Vihar. He said the smog tower in Delhi will be the second smog tower in the world, the first one being set up by China. However, the smog tower to be set up in Delhi will be different from the one erected by China, he said.

The Smog tower in China sucks the air from below and exhales fresh air from the top, however, the smog tower in Delhi will suck in air from above and release fresh air at the ground level so that people will get fresh air at the ground level, Kejriwal opined.

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'Green War Room'

In its fight against the alarming air pollution in the national capital during winters, the Delhi Government has set up a 'green war room' at Delhi Secretariat to monitor steps being taken to bring down pollution levels in the city this winter.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said a 10-member team has been set up under senior scientists Mohan George and B L Chawla to monitor the levels of primary pollutants, measures taken to curb pollution and status of complaints received through the 'Green Delhi' mobile application. Satellite data related to farm fires in the neighbouring states will also be analysed in the green war room.