Delhi govt to set up cell to monitor tree transplanting

Environment minister Manish Sisodia met officials of the Environment and Forest Department Wednesday and passed directions to initiate work on setting up the Cell and build technical know-how of the transplantation process. He also directed the Forest Department to initiate the process of empanelment of agencies that have the experience of tree transplantation, a government statement said.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has also been formulating a separate policy for dust control at construction sites bigger than 20,000 metre square.

Delhi’s tree transplantation policy has received flak from several quarters, who say that transplantation should be a rare exercise and development projects should be built around existing tree cover so that an area is not suddenly devoid of its green cover.

The policy however, officials say, makes it mandatory for project executing agencies to transplant trees in the vicinity of their original location to make sure the ecology and character of the area does not change.