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Felling of Trees in Delhi

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July 03, 2018

What is the issue?

  • Protests have erupted in Delhi over the felling of over 16,000 trees in government redevelopment yards.
  • Authorities argue that the numbers are exaggerated and in any case, they would plant more trees than are being felled.

What is the government policy?

  • In India’s countryside, forest lands underwent diversion for “non-forest purposes”.
  • These have been compensated for, through a series of laws.
  • The Forest Conservation Act of 1980 was the foremost one.
  • The policy culminated in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act of 2016.
  • It assumes that planting large number of trees would compensate for the loss.
  • However, how effectively will this redress cutting down natural wilderness is uncertain.
  • On the other hand, compensatory afforestation largely exists on paper.

Will planting new trees really help?

  • Clearly, compensation is reduced to a matter of counting trees.
  • But an old forest is a whole lot more than the sum of its trees.
  • Plants, fungi, microbes, insects and animals are all part of a living jungle ecosystem.
  • Recreating this community is not an easy task, as it takes decades.
  • Also, soil with microorganisms and mycorrhiza inhabiting the humus takes 30,000 years to build up.

What are the governance issues?

  • The sole agency for carrying out compensatory afforestation is the Indian Forest Department.
  • Rewilding is possible, but it needs tools, knowledge and techniques.
  • But, no Forest Department in India has any experience or track record of doing any ecological restoration work of any kind.
  • It is also not taught to foresters in their training.

What is the case with Delhi?

  • Authority - For compensatory afforestation, it is the Forest Department which implements the planting schemes.
  • It is charged with compliance under the CAF Act.
  • But, in a city like Delhi, the Forest Department is confused of what role to play.
  • It is confused in the centre of power and with so many horticultural agencies competing for its natural turf.
  • The Forest Department thus plays little role in managing the green areas of Delhi.
  • This is the case even with the Central Ridge, which is nominally under its control.
  • Afforestation - In Delhi, the land that is made available for afforestation is mostly least arable and degraded.
  • Also, small plots are crammed with large number of saplings which are not even native trees.
  • Clearly, they cannot be relied upon or sustained, once watering and care are withdrawn.
  • Delhi is one of the cities with toxic air quality in the world.
  • Given this, any development that adversely impacts Delhi’s air quality needs a reassessment.

                          

Source: Indian Express

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