Delhi govt orders action plan to undertake vertical plantation activites

Delhi Environment and Forest minister Imran Hussain today directed his department's top officer to convene meetings with all the concerned agencies to formulate a time-bound action plan to undertake vertical plantation activities across the city.

He also directed Environment and Forest Secretary Anil Kumar Singh to submit the action taken report to him within a week.

The move came two days after Hussain had written to different agencies, urging them to take up vertical gardening in a big way for reducing pollution in the national capital.

Hussain directed the environment and forest secretary to coordinate with all the concerned agencies on the issue.

"You (secretary) are directed to convene meetings with all the concerned agencies at your level to formulate a time-bound action plan and subsequently monitor the progress in the matter. A review meeting at my level may also be convened soon," the minister said in his directive to Singh.

Earlier this week, Hussain had written to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), PWD and also the municipal corporations pointing out its efforts to increase green cover in the city.

"Green cover can also be enhanced by undertaking vertical gardening activities on buildings, flyovers, spaces and columns underneath the flyovers. This will help in neutralising air pollution due to dust and vehicular pollution," Hussain had written in his letter.

Last week, Lt Governor Anil Baijal, in a meeting, had directed the municipal corporations and the DDA to come up with vertical gardens on flyovers and irrigate them with non-potable water only.

He had also stressed on developing green parks on vacant gram sabha lands, to achieve the goal of 'Green Delhi'.