15,000 trees cut in Delhi since 2014 for devp works: Govt

Over 15,000 trees have been cut in the national capital for undertaking various developmental and construction activities in the last three financial years, the Centre said today.
Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said while in 2014-15 fiscal, 6,161 trees were cut, in 2015-16 financial year, 4,689 trees were cut. The number of trees cut in 2016-17 was 4,759.
The total number of trees cut in these three financial years was 15,609, he said.
Dave pointed out that Section 10 of Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 (DPTA), prescribes that every person, who is granted permission under this Act to fell or dispose of any tree, will be bound to plant such number and kind of trees in the area.

Accordingly, under the relevant provisions of this Act, the government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) issued an order on March 4, 2010 to ensure that 10 tree saplings are planted and maintained till its establishment against felling permission for a tree.
"Out of 10 saplings, five are planted and maintained by Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD on degraded forest land and Gaon Sabha land and others available with the department. The other five saplings are planted and maintained by the User Agency," the minister said.
Trees act as carbon sink. Hence cutting of trees leads to reduced rate of absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that contributes to climate change, he said.