RAMPANT CONCRETISATION OF TREES IN DWARKA
New Delhi : Delhi Govt’s Forest Department guidelines & Delhi Forest Act require 1 m on each side of its trunk to be left for tree to sustain. DDA officials of Civil and Horticulture Dept of Dwarka sub city have been requested time & again to ensure compliance of its orders dated 8th October 2015 for many years. As many trees get uprooted/damaged every time there is storm / high speed winds or heavy rains in & around Dwarka.
Anil Kumar Parashar, Joint Secretary Dwarka Forum, Head – Mission Clean and Green Dwarka, and Former Joint Registrar NHRC said Dwarka being a well-planned sub city has good space & avenue for strategic planning of tree plantation. However, in many places trees have not been planted as per the site/soil or area e.g. some big trees have been planted near drains resulting in damaged roots when they grow big. Trees needs to be sustained and nurtured for a long term till they are self-sustained preventing them pest, termites and weeds like akash/amar- bel too.
Dwarka is on very high percentage of pollutants zone particularly sector 7 for the last so many years. Trees are life giver and recently we have seen the importance of oxygen which can be in abundance of native trees like Peepal, Neem, Jamun, Banyan etc as per availability of space & area are planted & nurtured properly rather than expensive non-native varieties like palm tree etc. Let’s please don’t allow them to be ravaged by concretization by DDA, Civil, PWD, SDMC or any other public agencies.
DDA needs to take up Special Drive to remove Concreting around the Trees & strictly follow the laid guidelines under Delhi Forest Act. During every storm/heavy rains, we loose many Trees diluting all efforts put in for so many years.
Shri Parashar added that there are many more trees which will get damaged or will fall if concrete tiles are not removed immediately. Many are termite infected which must be treated immediately.
It is really sad that we have to remind & write again and again for these damages, wrong action procedures to DDA,SDMC and other civil agencies.
DDA, SDMC and other departments are requested to coordinate & communicate effectively within DDA’s civil & horticulture & RWAs so that there is no wastage of any resources/tax payers money with timely action & correct procedures as per laid law / guidelines
Small trees also get damaged as there is no protection around the tree when they are planted like tree guards.
These trees also need numbering and utmost care as some small trees have been cut/ damaged too with malafied intentions of individuals/ group of citizens.
We trust DDA’s civil & horticulture deptts will take immediate steps to prevent further damage to the lifeline – that is trees within Dwarka sub district.
Residents of Dwarka stood up and replanted 45 years old Banyan tree which has fallen during a storm on May 19, 2021 with the help of one crane and 2 JCBs. Reportedly this mission was accomplished with the support locals since no assistance was forthcoming from Forest Department.
A petition has been moved for endorsement of Dwarkites to save concretized trees which shall be submitted to the authorities including Lt. Governor of Delhi.About 200 people or organizations have signed within few hours of its sharing.
You must be logged in to post a comment.