GREEN ACTION PLAN 2023

Green Action Plan (GAP) is an annual plantation programme implemented by Department of Forests and Wildlife, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, being the Nodal Agency in collaboration with more than 20 other Greening Agencies of the State. The Target is decided after consultation with all the Greening agencies.

Implementing agencies

1. Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD
2. Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
3. Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD)
4. New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC)
5. Public Works Department, GNCTD (PWD)
6. School Education
7. Directorate of Higher Education
8. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)
9. Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC)
10. Delhi Jal Board (DJB)
11. BSES Rajdhani
12. Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
13. Northern Railways
14. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB)
15. Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB)
16. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL)
17. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
18. Delhi Metro Rail Corporations Ltd. (DMRC)
19. Irrigation and Flood Control Department, GNCTD (IF&CD)
20. Department of Env. Horticulture, GNCTD
21. Delhi Transport Corporations (DTC)
22. Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (DPGS)

Action plans under GAP-23

Delhi has two significant features:

1. Ridge.
2. Yamuna Flood Plain.

In view of above, it has been observed that the plantation has to be done in different seasons in above mentioned features. In ridge, the plantation season starts with pre-monsoon showers while in Yamuna Flood Plain plantation has to be done after receding of flood in monsoon. Hence, there are two different Action plans.

Summer Action Plan:

Winter Action Plan

Activities under GAP-23

• 01. Conventional Plantation: Planting evenly spaced native saplings while ensuring their health and survival by watering, weeding, and application of manure. This is done in new areas given to Greening Agencies for plantation. This aims at increasing Green Cover in Delhi.
• 02. Enrichment plantation:Plantation of species which are missing/absent in an existing plantation for improving the quality of Green areas in Delhi.
• 03. Avenue Plantation along roads, city forests, parks and gardens : Planting trees in the avenues, parks, gardens and city forests outside notified forest area of Delhi is of utmost importance due to the many benefits that plants provide. Thus, the Department of Forests and Wildlife, Government of Delhi has prepared a scheme of plantation for the city’s public agencies. The dual purpose for selecting this species is greening and beautification.

Road Plantation to be categorized as below:

1. Tree plantation along roadways, turfing with grass and herbs;
2. Shrub plantation on medium strip, turfing with grass and herbs;
3. Block plantations in parks and gardens;
4. Grid plantations in large patches of land.

For more details, click here.

• 04. Specifications for roadside plantation

Specifications for ornamental plants (except last row)

(“Guidelines on Landscaping and Transplantation”, Indian Road Congress, 2009)

Specifications for plants of last row

(“Guidelines on Landscaping and Transplantation”, Indian Road Congress, 2009)

• 05. Eco-restoration: Ecological restoration basically aims to assist an ecosystem move backwards in historical path to its near pristine form. While the restored ecosystem will not necessarily revert back its exact former state due to restrictions such as climatic change, urbanization, acclimatization of species etc., however, the general direction may be replicated. In order to restore an ecosystem a combination of knowledge of its former state, data from existing intact ecosystems (reference sites), and other ecological, cultural and historical information is needed. These sources will enable the identification of the historical trajectory, and aid in assisting the ecosystem towards health and integrity.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD formulate a SOP to eradicate three main invasive species of the Delhi Ridge ecosystem, such are:

1. a) Prosopis juliflora or VilayatiKikar
2. b) Lantana camara
3. c) Leucanealeucocephala or Subabool

Depending upon the type of invasive species, different methodologies are prescribed for eco-restoration of any site. For details, please click here.

• 06. Motivate the citizen to adopt roads for plantation and maintenance: of NCT of Delhi will motivate citizen of Delhi to adopt roads for plantation. Citizen can
• 07. High-density multilayered plantation: Afforestation of an area by planting of native species through high-density multilayered plantation.
• 08. Vertical greening: Specialized type of urban garden that focuses on walls and roofs.

• 09. Third party audit of plantations

Forest Department hasconstitutes a dedicated team with following objectives:

• To analyse and prepare database on the basis of third party monitoring of plantationsand transplantation taken up by Greening agencies.
• To analyse third party audit reports received from the other Greening Agencies;
• To cross-check status of plantation sites of other Greening Agencies;
• To prepare database for site specific plant species on the basis of above findings.

• 10. Free distribution of saplings:

Free distribution of seedlings is to be carried out by the nurseries of Department of Forests and Wildlife, Govt., of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Parks and Garden Society and CPWD for encouraging general public towards greening of the city.

For ease of public and to monitoring the distribution scheme the Department has developed a  dedicated portal, namely “Dilli Free Tree” for facilitating distribution of seedlings to NGOs, individuals, Government Departments etc. The applicant will need to click a selfie with the seedling and to upload on the portal.

• 11. Soil Moisture Conservation Works: The forests of Delhi also provide an important ecosystem service by recharging underground aquifers. Soil and moisture conservation is essential for river rejuvenation as it helps in enhancing percolation of water in the soil and lowering surface runoff and also keeping a check on soil erosion by ensuring retention of water in catchment area, improvement of environmental flow and improvement of quality of water. This will eventually helps in enhancing the site quality which ultimately improves the natural regeneration, plant survival and growth, forest productivity and biodiversity conservation. It improves the overall water quantity and quality.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD has identified areas around existing plantations for flood plain rejuvenation through creation of wetlands, biotic stabilization of banks with native vegetation, grassland development etc. These efforts are being made to consolidate the plantation area by including these susceptible patches of land and showcase the restoration of landscape in Yamuna Flood plain. The Soil Moisture Conservation Measures to be taken under the project are Conservation ditch, Contour trench, Contour bund, Loose boulder check dam, Brushwood check dam, Pond Earthen check dam, Gully plug etc.

• 12. Outreach and Education : With institutionalization of sustainable development principles in development projects in Delhi, there has been demand for training the staff of development and enforcement agencies in extant acts and rules. Further, Hon’ble High Court has also directed to conduct training. Hence training for implementation of various acts like Indian Forest Act-1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act-1972, Forest Conservation Act-1980, Delhi Preservation of Trees Act-1994, National Biodiversity Act, 2005, etc. are being conducted by the Department for enforcement agencies, government agencies, NGOs, students, RWAs, general public.

• 13. Creation of portal for placing all data online:Department of Forest & Wildlife, GNCTD shall create a web portal for placing following data in public domain:
• The progress of plantation and seedling distribution by each greening agencies
• The details of third party report submitted by Greening agencies.
• Allow people of Delhi to showcase their efforts in greening on the portal.

Suggested Species Composition for Plantation under GAP

• Minimum 60% of total saplings planted should be saplings of native species.
• Minimum 25% seedlings of flowering species and 15% seedlings of fruit bearing species will be planted along roadside, in parks, gardens, city forests and residential areas.

Target for GAP 2023