Delhi govt to plant 3.53 mn saplings during 2022-23, launches helpline

According to the latest India State of Forest' report, Delhi's green cover has increased from 21.88% to 23.06% of its geographical area in the last two years

The Delhi government has set a target of planting 35.38 lakh saplings during the 2022-23 annual plantation drive, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.

He also launched a helpline number -- 1800118600 -- for registration of resident welfare associations, non-government organisations and individuals willing to be part of the government's plantation drive.

The departments concerned have been directed to make complete preparations for the drive by June end. The exercise will begin from July, he said.

The annual plantation programme of the Arvind Kejriwal government has helped increase the capital's green cover, Rai said.

According to the latest India State of Forest' report, Delhi's green cover has increased from 21.88 per cent to 23.06 per cent of its geographical area in the last two years.

Rai said of the 19 departments involved in annual plantation drives, only seven have submitted reports of the third-party audit of their sapling plantation conducted between 2016 and 2019.

It has been decided that Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Combating Climate Change, Delhi, will conduct the audit of plantations being undertaken by all departments from now on, he said.