Delhi's Green Action Plan: A Strategic Leap Towards Urban Biodiversity

The Delhi forest department targets 70.82 lakh plantings by 2026-27 under its Green Action Plan, utilizing a canopy opening method. This approach aims to improve sapling growth and urban biodiversity through a multi-tiered plantation model that enhances air quality and reduces pollutants, complementing efforts to achieve the previous year's targets.

In an ambitious move, Delhi's forest department plans to implement a plantation target of 70.82 lakh by 2026-27, as outlined in its Green Action Plan (GAP). This strategy involves the innovative canopy opening method, a technique designed to bolster sapling growth by pruning dense tree covers to allow sunlight to foster ground-level plantation.

Explanations from officials highlight the adoption of a three-layered plantation model. Tall native trees will form a top canopy, smaller trees and shrubs aim to trap dust and pollutants in the middle, while grasses and low-lying vegetation will mitigate soil erosion and maintain moisture at the ground level.

The targets part of a wider strategy follow close analysis of the 2025-26 Green Action Plan accomplishments. Efforts to enhance the GAP portal for better monitoring, alongside third-party audits, underscore the department's commitment to environmental integrity and ecological expansion in urban settings.

(With inputs from agencies.)