New Delhi: In two years since 2005, there
has been no change in the status of the green cover in five
districts of the national capital while it has declined in
east Delhi due to tree felling, says a government report.
Northeast and North Delhi districts added 0.39 sq km and
0.04 sq km respectively to the forest cover from 2005 to 2007
owing to plantations, the Forest Survey Report 2009 said.
However, there was no change in the green cover in
central, south, west, south-west and New Delhi.
East Delhi has shown a decline of 0.29 sq km because of
tree felling. Overall, the capital has recorded a gain of 0.14
sq km of forest cover during the period.
Of total 1,483 sq km of geographical area, the recorded
forest area in Delhi is 85 sq km including reserved and
protected forests which constitute 91.76 percent and 8.24 percent of the total forest cover, as per the data.
New Delhi has the highest green cover as far as
percentage in comparison to geographical area is concerned
with 46.60 percent (total area 35 sq km) followed by south
Delhi (31.46 percent of 250 km of geographical area).
The report says that area-wise, south Delhi ranks first
having 78.64 sq km followed by south-west Delhi (42.45 sq km)
and north-west Delhi (16.41 sq km) of forest cover.
Northwest Delhi, New Delhi, southwest Delhi and south
Delhi can still claim to have "very dense forest" while
central Delhi, east Delhi, west Delhi and northeast Delhi
seem to have lost all such cover with report showing no data
for these districts.
There is only one wildlife sanctuary, Asola-Bhatti forest
spread in an area of 1,991 hectares in the capital.
PTI
