Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday directed Delhi and NCR states to draw up a scientifically planned and community-driven greening strategy, saying it is crucial for strengthening the region's ecological security and achieving long-term improvement in air quality.
He asked the states to prepare detailed micro plans for the next five years, covering annual plantation targets, implementing agencies, community participation and funding sources.
Chairing a high-level meeting here with principal chief conservators of forests of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said the planning must cover both rural and urban areas and be based on comprehensive mapping of forest land, protected areas, zoos, community forests, degraded forests, river catchments, wetlands, Ramsar sites and public spaces under various authorities.
According to an official statement, he asked states to identify urban land parcels under local bodies for future plantation.
The minister said all eco-clubs in NCR should be mapped and engaged in awareness, plantation and maintenance activities.
He also called for active involvement of natural history museums and their regional centres.
States were asked to map existing nurseries, assess their production capacity and strengthen them to meet future plantation needs.
Based on this data, they agreed to undertake spatial analysis to identify suitable plantation sites and the type of interventions required, the statement said.
Yadav asked states to incorporate all applicable court directions while preparing five-year micro plans.
These plans should outline areas to be covered each year, nursery linkages, implementing agencies, nature of interventions and funding channels such as the Green India Mission, Nagar Van Yojana, Green Credit Programme, Compensatory Afforestation Fund, state funds, MGNREGA and river rejuvenation schemes, the statement said.
Yadav said identifying areas affected by invasive species and planning eco-restoration must be integral parts of these plans.
The minister also stressed the need for convergence among departments and sought a list of all ongoing litigations affecting projects in districts to understand regulatory challenges.
He asked ministry officials to prepare a consolidated five-year greening plan for NCR by combining state micro plans to support coordinated action and complement efforts monitored by the Commission for Air Quality Management.
Yadav also directed the Forest Survey of India to provide states with data on degraded forests and invasive species-affected areas.
States were told to upload data related to degraded forest lands on the Green Credit Programme portal to enable participation by individuals and private and public entities, the statement said.
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