Delhi air pollution: Can afforestation help cleanse world's most polluted city?

In November this year, World of Statistics put New Delhi at the top of the list of the “most polluted capital cities" in a survey that took into account the air quality till November 2022. A World Health Organisation (WHO) survey of 1,650 world cities, and a survey of 7,000 world cities by the US-based Health Effects Institute in August 2022 also stated that the air quality in Delhi was the worst of any major city in the world.

In winter, Delhi’s air quality becomes especially poor but it cannot be attributed only to stubble burning by farmers in nearby states. Vehicular pollution, construction activities and cracker burning during festivities also contribute to the deteriorating air quality. One way to improve the situation is to increase the green cover of the city and carry out massive afforestation activities.

News reports in June 2022 cited data submitted by Delhi’s Forest Department to state that a total of 77,420 trees were permitted to be cut or transplanted in 2019, 2020 and 2020. A Forest Survey of India report released in 2021 also pointed to the alarming fact that Delhi has lost a forest cover of 0.44 sq km since 2019. This has further caused the decline in the city’s avian diversity. Bikrant notes how the lack of urban greenery has caused birds like sparrows to go in search of other shelters on the outskirts of the city.

With these issues in mind, that undertakes tree planting drives across the capital to increase forest cover, help improve the air quality, and expand biodiversity. Apart from promoting native species of trees like Neem (Azadirachta indica), Kadamb (Neolamarckia cadamba), Amaltas (Cassia fistula), Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.), and Pilkhan (Ficus virens), this plantation drive also aims to create carbon sinks and contribute to the United Nations 2030 agenda on Sustainable Development Goals in a tangible way.

These trees not only help in regulating micro-climate by releasing oxygen but also sequester carbon dioxide to help curtail air-pollution that causes respiratory infections. We also saw how low-lying areas in the city were flooded during the monsoon and trees are helpful here as well. They help prevent water run-offs, control sedimentation in streams and reduce the impact of street floods.

Trees, he points out, also reduce topsoil erosion, replenish the groundwater table, provide shelter and food to various animal and bird species, and also help in conserving aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Cities are inhabitable only when their lungs are healthy and they strike the right balance between concrete jungles and living, breathing urban forests. We invite everyone to join us in this mission to make Delhi breathe better and plant more trees in zones where they are most needed.

The author is the CEO of Grow-Tree.com. Views are personal.

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