New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has written to the city forest department, informing it that land in the Yamuna floodplains is “no longer available for compensatory afforestation and plantation”.
The forest department had earlier told the DDA that land in the Yamuna floodplains is required for a central government project to “rejuvenate the Delhi stretch of the river through forestry intervention”.
The Union Environment Ministry had in March released the detailed project reports (DPRs) for the rejuvenation of 13 rivers through forestry intervention.
The forest department had said it conducted a detailed analysis on the direction of the Delhi chief secretary and found that land measuring around 9,000 hectares is available in the Yamuna floodplains.
The DDA replied that the forest department’s assessment of land availability in the river floodplains was “not based on facts”.
The agency said there is just 1,267 hectares of land available for development in the Yamuna floodplains from the Wazirabad barrage to the Okhla barrage.
Of this, 402 hectares has already been given for compensatory afforestation and plantation for different projects, while 280 hectares is “under dispute” and the demarcation process is going on.
The remaining 585 hectares of land has been pledged for the plantation of riverine grasses on the river banks as mandated by the National Green Tribunal; recreation for public use; development of depressions zones to catch floodwaters; eco-friendly kaccha pathways and public amenities and ecological plantation of riverine species, it said.
“In view of the aforementioned facts, land in Yamuna floodplains is no longer available either for compensatory afforestation or compensatory plantation… You will also appreciate the fact that there has been no acquisition of land since 1990 and the recreational area dedicated to the development of greens as per the Master Plan of Delhi is now saturated, as conveyed from time to time,” the DDA’s reply read.
A forest department official said the DDA has mentioned about the land available from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage, but the river floodplains in Delhi extend 48 kilometres – up to Palla in the north and Jaitpur in the south.
“Who owns it if not DDA,” the official asked.
According to forest department officials, Delhi’s green cover can be increased from 23 per cent at present to 25 per cent by 2025 if suitable plantation is raised in the river floodplains.
The DDA has again requested the forest department to revise the compensatory plantation scheme guidelines and bring down the number of saplings to be planted for every tree felled from 10 to two.
The land-owning agency had earlier written to the Union Environment Ministry, requesting it to allow compensatory afforestation for all projects undertaken in Delhi in the neighbouring states in view of the shortage of land in the capital.
According to the guidelines issued under the Forest Conservation Act, compensatory afforestation is to be done on suitable non-forest land, equivalent to the area proposed for diversion, at the cost of the user agency.
A senior DDA official said under the Master Plan of Delhi, it was decided to set aside 15 per cent of the area for recreational land use under which all parks, green belts and forests are maintained.
“Against the 15 per cent area identified for recreational green use, the total forest and tree cover in the capital is now over 23 per cent, according to the latest State of Forest Report,” the official said. PTI GVS IJT
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