Summer Action Plan: Delhi govt aims to plant 64 lakh saplings by March 2025

New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Delhi Environment and Forest Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday asserted that to reduce pollution, one of the major points in the government’s 12-point summer action plan is tree plantation and the government aims to plant 64 lakh saplings by March 2025.

As Delhi continues to grapple with the heatwave, the only solution is to increase the green belt, Gopal Rai said. In 2013, the green area of Delhi was only 20 per cent, which increased to 23.6 per cent in 2021. Even after 2021, the tree plantation campaign is going on at a fast pace, the minister said.

Rai made these remarks on Tuesday while he chaired a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, with all concerned departments on the issue of the Tree Plantation drive under the Summer Action Plan.

Providing further details, Rai said, “Today, a joint meeting of more than 25 agencies was held to take forward the tree plantation campaign this year. After discussion with everyone, it has been decided that by March, all the agencies together will plant 64 lakh saplings.”

He added, “Out of these 64 lakh, 24,83,064 saplings that would be planted include big trees, 31,57,529 are shrubs, and 7,74,000 saplings will be distributed free of cost.”

Rai informed that the people will be able to get free saplings from nurseries, and the saplings will also be distributed in different assembly constituencies.

The minister also talked about the plantation guarantees given by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said, “During the last elections, Arvind Kejriwal had given a guarantee to the people of Delhi that two crore saplings would be planted in five years. We are happy that in just four years, we have planted two crore five lakh saplings. The guarantee that had to be fulfilled in five years, the Delhi government fulfilled it in four years in collaboration with more than 25 greening agencies.”

The Summer Action Plan was announced by Rai on June 13 during a meeting with the concerned authorities. Taking to his official X handle, Rai had posted, “Today (June 13), a meeting was held with officials of 30 departments regarding the summer action plan and “Summer Action Plan 2024″ was announced and 12 focus points have been set to reduce pollution in Delhi this summer.”

Elaborating further, he had posted, “Delhi’s air quality has improved, air pollution has reduced by about 30% in 8 years. Work will be done on preventing open burning and industrial pollution, increasing green cover and development of lakes including solid waste management.”

Meanwhile, Gopal Rai also talked about the water crisis prevailing in the city and said, “Today, the river in Wazirabad is on the verge of drying up. Despite the order of the Supreme Court, Haryana is adamant, and this is happening under the political pressure of the BJP. Haryana knows this pain because the water in Haryana also comes from other places.”

Stepping up his attacks on the BJP, Rai added, “Efforts are being made to find the best way to manage the water available with us. We knocked on all the doors, but the BJP’s conspiracy continues. Even offices are being attacked. People of the BJP are requested to not do politics on the issue of water.”

The Minister also asserted that action is being taken regarding the complaints. “Wherever complaints are coming (regarding the tanker), action is being taken there. Anyone playing with water in Delhi will not be spared and Haryana will have to release water. Wherever the news regarding leakage is coming from, we are fixing it, Rai said.”