12,849 trees cut in Delhi since 2015

New Delhi : In three years, a total of 12,849 trees have been cut in the national capital for various government projects, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife in the Delhi government has said that 12,849 trees were axed in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri said in a written reply.

In another reply, he told the House about the plantation drives by various agencies.

"It has been decided to plant more than 10,00,000 trees in different parts of Delhi including 25,000 by NBCC, 50,000 by CPWD, 20,000 by Delhi Metro Rail Corp and 10,00,000 by Delhi Development Authority, over and above the compensatory afforestation wherever required as per the environment and related clearances."

Puri said about 11,00,000 trees had been planted, with a survival percentage ranging from 63 to 90 per cent.

According to the reply, in the last three years, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) planted 90,392 trees, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) planted 2,98,987 trees and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation planted 1,49,330 trees.

The DDA planted 4,10,312 trees, NDMC 1,39,861 and NBCC 4,836 trees.

Both the questions were raised by Aam Aadmi Party member Sushil Kumar Gupta.