Delhi to get its 1st tree census, SC permits FRI to conduct it | India Information

New Delhi: Supreme Courtroom on Wednesday authorised the Forest Analysis Institute’s plan to hold out the primary tree census in Delhi and likewise gave its nod to the Dehradun-based institute’s proposal to boost the inexperienced cowl within the metropolis. The 2 workouts shall be performed concurrently — the census in three phases over a three-and-a-half-year interval and the growing of inexperienced cowl over 4 years.
The census will assist observe tree populations area-wise and verify unlawful felling. The court docket took this step in view of the truth that Delhi witnesses felling of 5 timber per hour on a mean. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed FRI to go forward with the workouts however requested it to attempt to full the duties in a shorter span and likewise scale back funds.
The court docket additionally accepted the submission of further solicitor basic Aishwarya Bhati that the cash to undertake census must be launched from the CAMPA fund. She assured that each one vital assist can be supplied to the institute however stated the train must be concluded in a shorter time.
As per FRI, the train shall be carried out in three phases, with the primary section aiming at standardising the methodology for tree census — it’ll take 15 months. The second section is about improvement of an motion plan that shall be performed in three months, and the ultimate section is implementation, which can take two years.
“FRI proposes an estimated funds of Rs 443 lakh for the execution of section one and section two on standardisation of methodology and pilot trial for the event of motion plan for implementation in section three,” the institute stated in its affidavit.
It stated the Tree Authority and the Delhi forest division will undertake the census, and FRI will present technical help and capability constructing to the division’s officers in enterprise the train apart from monitoring and analysis. The ultimate report shall be submitted to the court docket by the authority.
It stated the institute will design and develop an internet portal and a cellular app for the census. Concerning enhancing inexperienced cowl within the nationwide capital territory (NCT), FRI positioned earlier than the court docket a four-year motion plan to type a base to launch an enormous afforestation drive to extend the forest and tree cowl of the realm falling throughout the limits of the govt. of the NCT of Delhi.
Nationwide Forest Coverage mandates that one-third of whole land space of nation must be below forest or tree cowl.