New Delhi, Feb 5 (Inditop.com) Equipped with water tanks, chain saws, tree pruners, sprayers and ladders — an ambulance for trees set out Friday to protect the green cover in parts of the national capital.
The unique initiative under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) was launched Friday by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who said she wanted the tree ambulances to run not only in select parts but in the entire city.
The NDMC takes care of civic administration in three percent of Delhi’s land area.
“Dikshit congratulated the NDMC for a new initiative which will enrich efforts of tree protection. She exhorted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD – which is responsible for 96 percent of Delhi’s area) to follow suit,” an official statement said.
The chief minister also mooted the idea of utilizing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) fund to launch more such ambulances in Delhi.
The ambulance is fitted with a water tank with a capacity of 5,500 liters. The ambulances will also have equipment like chain saw, tree pruner, sprayer, ladder and water pumps.
“The ambulances will be responsible for regular maintenance including trimming and removal of decayed branches to ensure healthy life for these trees,” an NDMC official said.
The NDMC has a total green area of 1,250 acres including six major gardens and five nurseries and 981 colony parks for maintenance. It has plans to roll out more such ambulances in the near future.
