Forest dept working on draft tree adoption policy

A banyan tree in the middle of a narrow bylane in Old Delhi's Nai Sarak, said to be over 150 years old, has been up for "adoption" by the state forest and wildlife department for the last two years, but is yet to be handed over to any individual or NGO despite local interest. The reason - Delhi formally does not have a tree adoption policy in place which could facilitate the move

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

However, the department is planning to formulate rules by the end of the year that will allow people to adopt the Nai Sarak tree, as well as other heritage trees across the Capital, officials said.

Under the proposed tree adoption policy, individuals or NGOs will likely be able to take care of a particular tree for several years, with the government also providing financial assistance, if required, for its upkeep.

Officials said they have begun work on the new policy, and the department plans to table a draft of their policy with Delhi's Tree Authority (DTA) in its next meeting, scheduled for December.

The decision to facilitate tree adoption this way was taken at the last DTA meeting on August 30, which included participation from the horticulture directors of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).