NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has appealed to the residents of Delhi to come forward to help prevent illegal felling of trees in the city by reporting to the authorities concerned upon noticing any such activity.
Rekha Gupta, through a video message posted on her X handle, conveyed to the public the importance of increasing the green cover of the national capital and that her government was working on that with multiple initiatives, She asked the people to extend their support to the cause.
The chief minister said during the upcoming monsoons, her government is going to plant as many trees as no one might have planted in the past under any drive, or even thought of. However, she added that under the current scenario, all the citizens have to come together and save the already existing trees.
The Delhi government recently tightened its noose on tree felling with the introduction of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), notified in April. Under the SOP, special permission will be required to fell more than 50 trees as part of a project with a 24×7 monitoring system will also be in place.
In this connection, the projects approval must come from the Central Empowered Committee, rather than from the tree officer.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government is ascertaining what plants and trees are most suitable for Delhi’ weather so that the plantation drives achieve greater success.
Agencies