New Delhi: While increasing pollution levels may have dented its image considerably, Delhi's green cover has increased manifold over the years, gaining the distinction of being the greenest among the metros.
The Economic Survey report, tabled in Delhi Assembly Wednesday, said the national capital has forest and tree cover area of 297.81 sq km in 2013 which is 20.08 per cent of its total area.
Although the rise of 1.61 per cent over 2011 is marginal, the growth has "particularly been monumental post 1999", the report claims, noting that it was only 1.48 per cent in 1993.
"Of the total 297.81 sq km of forest area in NCT of Delhi, nearly 272 sq km has been added during the period from 1999 to 2013," it says.
Considered separately, the forest cover area stands at 179.81 sq km which is 12.12 per cent of the total area of the city while trees cover 118 sq km or 7.94 per cent of the total area. Compared to the 2011 figure of 120 sq km, this is a marginal fall.
Area-wise, south Delhi constitutes the highest forest cover area at 79.02 sq km whereas northwest Delhi has the lowest at 3.75 sq km.
As per the information provided by the Ministry of Urban Development, the forest covers of Mumbai and Chennai are 86.57 and 24 sq km respectively.
