CAQM sets target of 35.8 million saplings in Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management’s green action plan for the year 2023-24 has fixed the annual greening and plantation target at 35.8 million for Delhi and the National Capital Region.

Of the 35, 890,997 plants to be planted, 9.5 million plants will be put up in the Capital city, 8.8 million in Haryana’s NCR districts, 15.2 million in UP’s and 2.3 million in Rajasthan’s NCR districts, according to the action plan released on Tuesday.

An additional 6.1 million plants are expected to be added in the entire region by central agencies such as CRPF, Railways and NCRTC.

This year, CAQM said it has also roped in educational institutes in the annual exercise, while asking the University Grants Commission (UGC) to provide a budget for taking up greening in institutions in NCR.

A CAQM official said that schools, colleges and research institutions in NCR will be involved to promote large-scale greening and dense plantation initiatives in their surroundings. “These institutions have been advised to develop dense plantation barricades along the boundaries of their institutions.

Similarly, it has also asked industrial units to develop dense plantation barricades along the building’s boundaries.

Last year, CAQM exceeded their target of 29,610,492 plants, with 31,197,899 of them planted by various agencies till March 31 this year.

In order to keep up with the success rate, the commission this year will focus more on urban foresting initiatives using as the Miyawaki Technique — a Japanese method which involves planting two to four trees per square metre. Such dense plantations, or Miyawaki forests, grow in two to three years and are self-sustaining. They also help lower temperatures, reduce air and noise pollution, attract local birds and insects, and create carbon sinks

A CAQM official that the commission has held a series of consultations and review meetings to draw the roadmap for the plan. “Separate meetings have also been held with different agencies of the central government to discuss and finalise their greening plants whereby CRPF will add 120,000, NCRTC 10,000 Border Security Force 50,000, Northern Railway 3,00,000 and Central Industrial Security Force will add 30,000 during this year,” the official said, asking not to be named.

Under the annual anti-pollution plan, greening remains one of the key steps for mitigation of air pollution. “The implementation status of plantation activities to increase green cover for the year 2022-23 was also reviewed by CAQM with Delhi achieving 123.8% of its target (3.9 million plants against 3.1 million),” according to CAQM data. Besides Delhi, NCR comprises 14 districts of Haryana, eight from UP and two districts of Rajasthan.

A CAQM official said that the commission has asked the stated to expand the net of urban forests and urban gardens in urban agglomerations, including adoption of Miyawaki technique. “Mass plantation drives focusing on better survival rate by prioritizing native species will be carried out with action plans for greening of central verges and sidewalks along the entire road network. The progress of implementation of Greening Action Plan will be monitored by the Commission on a regular basis,” the official said.

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said, “UGC is taking several measures to green the campuses of educational institutions nationwide through awareness programs. Yesterday UGC also launched the Guidelines and Curriculum Framework for Environment Education at the undergraduate level. We have a vast treasure of young people in our educational institutions who are environmentally conscious and ready to participate in greening our campuses. Local governments must handhold the educational institutions and provide them with saplings and other support. We all have to work together in this endeavour.”