While Pollution Is Choking Delhi, 16,500 Trees Will Be Cut To Build Flats For Sarkari Babus

Be it in winter or now in summers, Delhi's air quality is as bad as it can get. In fact, India's national capital has the worst air quality in the world and has been that way for some time now.

And what is Delhi doing to combat it worsening air quality? Cutting down trees! Yes, you read it right.

BCCL/Representational Image

Some 16,500 full grown trees in South Delhi are in the process of being chopped-off to make way for redeveloping of Central government accommodations in the area.

The forest department has given clearance to cut 16,500 trees spread across Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Mohammadpur, Kasturba Nagar and Sriniwaspuri.

BCCL/ Representational Image

In fact 1500 trees out of the 16,500, at Nauroji Nagar, have already been axed.?

Jhatkaa.org, a Bengaluru-based advocacy organization has now launched a campaign to save Delhi's trees.

Shikha Kumar, a senior campaigner of Jhatkaa.org said felling of this magnitude will be a huge loss to Delhi's green cover, but also will have an adverse effect on the the air quality.?

DelhiTreeSOS/Facebook

She also pointed out that all the trees which are to be cut are in residential areas.

"It is really sad, all these seven places are residential areas. There are families there, including kids and senior citizens. If you are chopping all these trees, it will be really bad for them," Shikha told Indiatimes.

According to the Forest Ministry, ten saplings should be planted in place of every tree that is cut. But Shikha said there is no agency to monitor this or clear direction on where the sapling will be planted.

DelhitreeSOS/ Facebook

"Even if they say they are going to plant all the sapling, we don't know where they will be planted or which agency will do it," she said.

Shikha said their campaign is to create awareness among the public about the situation and get a possible stay order on the cutting of the remaining 15000 trees.