25 teams with 100 officers to conduct independent parallel audits of transplanted trees across Delhi and cross-verify their growth & upkeep- Gopal Rai
A joint review meeting was held in with senior officials of all the concerned departments and empanelled agencies regarding the Tree Transplantation Policy today- Gopal Rai
Orders have been given to all the departments to submit a detailed report by May 13 in accordance with the Tree Transplantation Policy- Gopal Rai
Forest department will not approve files of those departments whose tree transplantation work is not satisfactory- Gopal Rai
New Delhi:
The Kejriwal Government will leave no stone unturned in implementing the Tree Transplantation policy in view of which, it has sought reports from all departments by May 13. Today under the chairmanship of Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai, a high-level joint review meeting was held with all the concerned departments and empanelled agencies in relation to the tree transplantation policy at the Delhi Secretariat. Officers and experts from all the concerned agencies like Forest and Wildlife, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, CPWD, DMRC, PWD, DSIIDC, etc. were present in the meeting. After the meeting, Shri Gopal Rai ordered all the departments to submit a detailed report along with video recording to the forest department by May 13. Along with this, the Forest Department will constitute 25 teams in this context, which will independently audit the tree transplantation done by the departments.
Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai said, “Earlier in Delhi, felling of plants took place to make way for development work and new plants were planted in their place. Later, we discovered that newly planted saplings took a long time to grow, so the government implemented a tree transplantation policy, requiring that all plants that may be transplanted. The development agencies are required to transplant the plants under this policy. Today, a review meeting of all the agencies that had requested approval from the department for tree transplantation in the previous year was held, and the departments were told to provide a thorough report by May 13.”
He added, “The green cover in Delhi has increased significantly as a result of the Kejriwal Government’s actions. To move forward in this direction, a joint review meeting was convened today at the Delhi Secretariat with high officials from all the concerned departments and empanelled agencies, including Forest and Wildlife, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, CPWD, DMRC, PWD, DSIIDC, and others. In today’s review meeting, it has been observed that many departments have not yielded satisfactory results under this policy. As a result, all departments and agencies present at the meeting have been given orders to provide a thorough report to the Forest Department by May 13 along with video recordings. Especially, the NHAI and DDA have not yet given their reports.”
Orders to conduct independent parallel audit by 25 teams of Forest Department
Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai further informed, “The reports of all the departments would be subjected to an Independent Parallel Audit by the Forest Department. For which 25 teams have been formed. Each team will have four members, who will cross verify every tree transplanting site. Along with this, these teams will also make video recordings and report to the department by May 13. On the basis of this, the Environment Department will decide whether a particular agency or department should be allowed for construction work in future or not. Along with this, no file related to that department will get permission if it fails to get satisfactory results. It is the goal of our government to increase the green area in Delhi as much as possible so that the people of Delhi can get rid of the problem of pollution. And for this, the Kejriwal government is ready to make every possible effort.”