New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched the Tree Transplantation Policy under the ‘Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Viruddh’ campaign, which requires a minimum of 80 per cent of the trees affected by construction or development projects to be transplanted.

The implementation of this policy will be in addition to the policy of the compulsory afforestation of 10 saplings.

He also said that it is the responsibility of the agencies which are responsible for transplantation, to ensure that 80 per cent of the transplanted trees survive after a year. A dedicated Tree Transplantation Cell and local committees will be formed which will include government officials, citizens, RWAs to monitor the transplanted trees and to monitor the transplantation task.

Mr Kejriwal also announced that the Delhi government is installing the second smog tower in the world at Connaught Place for which the Delhi cabinet has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the installation which will be completed within 10 months.

Addressing a digital press briefing, Mr Kejriwal said, “A few days back, the people of Delhi started a huge movement against the air pollution levels in the city, ‘Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Viruddh’. Various measures will be taken under this, including EV, tree transplantation, preventing stubble burning, etc. One of the key components of this campaign was the tree transplantation policy.”

‘The tree transplantation policy has been approved in our cabinet meeting that was held today. With the blessings of God, the woodland of Delhi is very dense, and the trees are quite old and strong because Delhi is quite an old city. The Delhi government is constantly trying to save and preserve the trees. But often due to construction and development works, the trees are cut down”

‘Until now, the policy was to plant 10 saplings as a compensatory effort, if one tree was supposed to be cut down. The tree which was cut down was around 400-500 years old and was a symbol of how nature preserved it and nurtured it for so many years. The newly planted 10 saplings are not for the tree that was cut down. We have passed the tree transplantation policy. Delhi is the first state in the country where this policy has been passed”, Kejriwal said.

‘Along with retaining the policy of planting 10 saplings in place of one tree being cut down, we can transplant the tree additionally, due to the scientific advancements which allow uprooting the tree from a particular spot, lifting it, and planting it at another spot. A minimum of 80 per cent of trees affected by a project, over and above compensatory afforestation of planting of 10 saplings, will be transplanted. Also, a minimum of 80 per cent of the transplanted trees should survive and ensuring this would be the responsibility of the agencies that will take permission from us”, the CM underlined.

‘The Delhi government will form a panel of the agencies that excel in the task of transplantation. Whichever department wants trees to be transplanted, can approach any agencies out the panel that is being formed. The payment of the agencies will be made only if 80 per cent of the trees continue to survive after a year.”

Mr Kejriwal said that a dedicated Tree Transplantation Cell will be formed by the Delhi government and local committees which will include government officials, citizens, RWAs to monitor the transplanted trees and to certify that the task has been done with due diligence.

“A smog-tower will also be installed in Delhi, which will be the second smog-tower in the world. The first smog-tower in the world was set up in China. Two smog-towers are being installed in Delhi, out of which one will be installed by the Central government at Anand Vihar, and the second will be installed by the Delhi government at Connaught Place.

‘The technology used in the smog-tower installed by the Delhi government is different from the technology used in China. In China, the smog-tower sucks the polluted air from down below and releases clean air from above. Our smog tower will suck the polluted air from above, and release the clean air from the bottom.

‘The Delhi cabinet has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the installation of this first-of-its-kind smog tower, and we hope that the installation work will be completed within the next 10 months. We are calling it a pilot project for now, and if it is successful, many more smog towers will be installed across Delhi,” the Chief Minister added.