Delhi’s Answer to Dust Storms: Having a Tree Wall Around the City

Delhi is all set to have a wall of nearly 31 lakh native trees along its border with Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.

Delhi is to have a wall of nearly 31 lakh native trees encircling it soon to shield it from frequent dust storms blowing from Rajasthan.

(Photo: PTI)

The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is to have a wall of nearly 31 lakh native trees encircling it soon to shield it from frequent dust storms blowing from Rajasthan.

A senior official of the Union Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change told PTI that various agencies of the Union and Delhi governments have already begun the work of planting nearly 31 lakh saplings of various native species on its three sides to rid Delhi of the malady of frequent dust storms from its western neighbour.

The natural barrier is to come up all along the Delhi border with Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while also encompassing the Aravali and the Yamuna forests areas.

The official listed said the scheme has two objectives – absorption of pollution-causing particulate matters by trees and shielding Delhi from the choking dust storms, coming in from Rajasthan every year due to western disturbances.

He said that based on scientific studies, sufficiently tall and dense trees like those of “pilkhan, goolar, mango, mahua”, and other native trees have been chosen for this scheme. These trees prevent the dust particles from rising above in the sky due to low atmospheric pressure and stop them from condensing at few meters above the ground, he said.

Also included in this scheme are the trees of peepul, neem, banyan, berry, amla (Indian gooseberry), jamun, amaltas, harre, bahera and other trees which release more oxygen. Of all these trees, peepul, which releases oxygen round the clock, would be planted the most under the scheme.

The official said the minute dust particles and other pollutants of the air easily get deposited on the leaves of evergreen trees and are subsequently washed down to the ground, blending with the soil during rains.

Accordingly, this scheme may prove to be an effective and permanent solution to the malady of air pollution, the officials said.

The Forest Department of the Delhi government is all set to complete this scheme within two years, said another senior official of the department, adding that the scheme had already been formally launched on 7 July.