Delhi govt to enhance greenery to reduce dust pollution, beautify city: Officials

India's capital New Delhi ranks first with 1,826.6 cameras per square mile. CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that "Feel proud to say that Delhi beats cities like Shanghai, NY n London with most CCTV cameras per sq mile, Delhi has 1826 cameras, London has 1138 cameras per sq mile, My compliments to our officers and engineers who worked in mission mode n achieved it in such a short time".

To reduce dust pollution, especially in winters, and to make city streets greener, the Delhi government has decided to enhance greenery on its roads and flyovers with the help of shrubs, hedges, creepers and a variety of flowering plants, government officials said on Sunday.

According to senior officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), central and side verges of roads and flyovers and walls of overbridges will be spruced up with seasonal flowering plants and shrubs on a number of identified road stretches and flyovers.

"There are many flyovers and roads where greenery is less which results in dust. We have identified such stretches to enhance greenery there and beautify these streets.

"Some of these stretches include the Ring Road, Chirag Delhi flyover, IIT flyover etc. In the mega drive we will use decorative and seasonal flowering plants, shrubs, hedges for roads and flyovers," a senior PWD official told PTI.

He said that tenders have been floated for the procurement of plant saplings, shrubs and hedges.

The official said that the main aim of the project is to cut down dust pollution due to open spaces and dirt patches on roads. No dry and vacant space will be left on roads for the dust to fly, the official said.

The move comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last month directed PWD officials to improve greenery to reduce dust pollution in the city.

According to PWD officials privy to the development, tenders have been issued for improving greenery and beautification of a number of flyovers.

These overbridges include IIT flyover, Munirka flyover, Africa Avenue flyover, Chirag Delhi flyover, B-Avenue flyover, Masoodpur flyover and Panchsheel flyover.

Officials said that greenery beneath these flyovers will be improved and road footpaths will also be made encroachment free.

"A variety of flowering plants such as Bougainvillea, Clerodendrum Inerme, Ipomea, Tradescantia, Tasmanian Flax-Lilly (Dianella Variegated) Kamal Cactus along with hedge plants will be used to beautify roads and flyovers. We will also use creepers on the flyover walls and pillars to enhance greenery and beautification of the structure," another PWD official said.

Major arterial roads of the national capital are under the jurisdiction of the PWD. The department manages around 1,260 km-long roads in the city.

The officials said that at least 42,000 plants saplings, hedges and shrubs will be used to beautify roads and flyovers in PWD's south sub-division.