Delhi Metro to plant over 28,000 trees, saplings across 991 locations

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will plant over 28,000 trees and saplings across 991 locations in the national capital, mainly in MCD parks, to compensate for trees to be felled or transplanted for a Phase IV corridor.

The plantation drive is linked to the construction of the Rithala-Bawana Industrial Area section of the Rithala-Kundli corridor. DMRC has issued a tender for the work, with an estimated cost of Rs 291.80 lakh, according to its document.

A total of 28,454 plants will be planted under the project, adding greenery to designated Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) parks across the city. The plantation will be carried out on municipal land as part of the compensatory plantation required under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.

The plan includes planting healthy saplings and ensuring they receive adequate water, manure and care to grow. The species and number of plants at each location will be decided as part of the project, it said.

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The plantation work is scheduled to be completed within three months, followed by six months of maintenance. During this period, the newly planted trees and saplings will be watered, pruned and protected against pests and diseases to improve their chances of survival, according to the corporation.

DMRC has set a minimum survival target of 90 per cent. Plants that do not survive during the contract period will have to be replaced to ensure that the plantation results in lasting greenery rather than merely adding saplings to the city’s parks, it mentioned.

The plantation is also linked to the process of obtaining permission to fell or transplant trees for the metro corridor. Under the procedure outlined in the document, compensatory plantation must be completed and its details submitted to the Forest Department, it added.