NDMC celebrates World Environment Day

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Thursday marked World Environment Day by planting some 100 saplings and 250 shrubs of various varieties at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri here.

Meenakshi Lekhi, member of parliament from New Delhi constituency, launched the event by planting a sapling. NDMC`s chairman Jalaj Shrivastava and secretary Nikhil Kumar, other senior officers and council members Surinder Singh, MLA, and Suka Ram also planted saplings. Approximately 100 saplings of trees like Grevilla Robusta, Gulmohar, Molsari, Azadiracta indica, Ficus, Benghalensis (variegated) and Tacoma Argentina and 250 shrubs like TMC, bougainvillea, lantana and hamelia were planted on this occasion. Shrivastava said that in its effort to keep NDMC area green and pollution free, the council is planting 5,000-10,000 saplings on an average every year for replacement of dead and dry trees or cluster plantations in the parks that it is tasked with maintaining. He said NDMC is maintaining five big parks -- Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Nehru Park, Sanjay Jheel and Shanti Path -- in its area besides 128 NDMC colony parks, 52 school parks and 50 roundabouts. More than one lakh trees in the public greens and about 30,000 avenue trees are also being maintained by the council. Apart from this, the horticulture department of NDMC is also maintaining 981 colony parks in CPWD area.