Tree transplantation audit begins in Delhi

Representative Image (Image: AP)

The Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute (FRI) has started conducting an audit to assess the "success and survival rate" of all transplanted trees in the national capital, officials said on Thursday.

The audit will also help ascertain the impact of the tree transplantation policy, an official said.

The exercise started around a week ago and the trees transplanted in the south division are being covered at present, he said.

In April, the Delhi government approved a proposal to conduct a third-party audit to assess the "success and survival rate" of all transplanted trees in the national capital.

According to data submitted to the Delhi High Court in May, only one-third (33.33 per cent) of the 16,461 trees transplanted in the capital over the last three years have survived.

During an interim survey, the forest department found that only 1,521 of the 4,162 trees transplanted in the city in 2019-20 have survived.

Just 2,001 (28.57 per cent) of the 7,003 trees survived in 2020-21 and 1,965 (37.10 per cent) of the 5,296 trees transplanted in 2021-22 are alive, the data showed. A senior forest department official said the tree transplantation policy notified in December 2020 has made the tree transplantation process more scientific but "we need data to ascertain its impact on the survival rate of the transplanted trees".

According to the policy, agencies concerned have to transplant a minimum of 80 per cent of the trees affected by their development works. The benchmark tree survival rate at the end of one year of tree transplantation is 80 per cent.

"The final payment of the technical agency shall be linked to the tree survival rate achieved with a provision for a penalty for tree survival rate below the benchmark rate," the Delhi tree transplantation policy document states.

The first payment (20 per cent of the finalised rate) is made after 100 per cent completion of the transplantation of all trees through proper technical methods.

No further payment will be made if less than 50 per cent of the trees fail to survive "as the transplantation operation will be declared a failure", it says.