More than 3000 saplings including medicinal and herbal plants and seedlings were planted by dignitaries and school students at Shastri Park Metro Vihar here as a part of the first ceremonial plantation by Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today.
The plantation drive is among the various activities announced by Jung under the week-long Independence Day celebrations.
Delhi government with its different greening agencies has started a series of plantation activities, special drives and celebrations, across the week on the occasion of 68th Independence Day since August 8.
Government has decided to meet a target of planting 11 lakhs trees to mark the occasion. Out of these 11 lakhs trees, 3 lakhs trees will be planted in the forests areas, 1 lakh trees will be planted by Public Work Department (PWD), 1 lakh trees each by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and rest through participation of greening agencies of other civic bodies, cantonments, Eco-clubs, Resident Welfare Associations (RWA's) and general public.
More than 2.5 lakhs sapling have been planted so far during the drive.
The increase in the green cover of Delhi is due to the consistent greening efforts by the different greening agencies in National Capital Territory. The Government has been making sincere efforts to secure the existing forest cover as well as to further extend the forest cover to 33 per cent of the geographical area in order to meet the requirements of the National Forest Policy, said Jung.
The change in forest cover during the period between 2011 and 2013 shows an increase of 3.61 sq km.
"Government is committed to make Delhi as greenest capital of the World and a jewel in the crown of the forest conservation strategy of India," Jung said.
He said that the forest and tree cover area was just 22 sq Km, 1.48 per cent of Delhi's geographical area in the year 1993 and with the serious efforts of Government, forest and tree Cover area has increased to 297.81 sqkm in the year 2013. By the consistent efforts of Forest Department the forest cover of Delhi has increased to 20.08 per cent.
