Delhi air pollution: Government to develop 17 urban forests to boost green cover

The Delhi government is set to convert 15 scattered stretches of vacant land in the national capital into dense urban forests, called ‘NaMo Forest’, to increase the city’s green cover and tackle air pollution.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a meeting in this regard with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and other key officials.

Officials said these NaMo vans will cover an area of ​​more than 177 acres. And after their development, the national capital will have 17 urban forests including two Miyawaki forests. The work is likely to start soon with plantation planned from November.

“These new forests will not only enhance the beauty of the national capital but will also create much-needed green space for our residents,” Sirsa told PTI.

“We are taking every possible step to make Delhi green and reduce pollution. These dense green areas will act as natural lungs for the city,” he said.

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Stretching across the North and South Forest Divisions, the Namo Vans will come up in Sathbari and Maidan Garhi in the South, and Shahpur Garhi, Alipur, B4 Narela, Mamurpur, G7 and G8 Narela, Barwala in Sector 32. Rohini, Pehladpur Bagar in Sector 30 Rohini, Pansali in Sector 32 Rohini, Mahamudpura Mazri A in Rohini, Pansali in Sector 31 Rohini, and Sector 32 Rohini in the North.

Sirsa said, currently, tenders have been issued, the bids will be evaluated and awards will be given soon.

Two Miyawaki forests will be built in south-west Delhi. 3.5 lakh saplings of native species will be planted in Kharkhari Jatmal (2.44 hectares) and Jainpur (4.54 hectares) near Najafgarh, where one of them will be named after Guru Teg Bahadur.

Miyawaki forests, which are 30 times denser than regular forests, were pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s. In these forests, plants are planted closely together to create a dense ecosystem that promotes rapid growth and high carbon dioxide (CO₂) uptake.

Officials said that while Miyawaki plantations would appear dense in six to eight months, it would take years to create a traditional forest.

“If the plantation could not start in November due to low temperatures, we will start the plantation from February,” a forest official said.

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In September, CM Gupta announced that NaMo vans would be formed across the national capital to tackle air pollution.

Officials said the initiative is part of a larger effort to create more green spaces in Delhi while addressing pollution and ensuring environmental sustainability for future generations.