Symbolic picture…
Expansion
Apart from giving natural beauty, DDA’s Aravalli Biodiversity Park spread over 692 acres in Vasant Vihar-Vasant Kunj-Mahipalpur is also earning about Rs 15 crore every year. This income is only from 15-18 years old trees of the park.
However, the income is not directly in cash. Greenery is doing its job by removing pollutants from the air and storing water in the soil. This has been assessed by the scientists of the park and the researchers of the Business Economics Department of Delhi University. Scientists say this is just the beginning. Further, the economic value of all the seven Biodiversity Parks of Delhi spread over about three thousand acres will be worked out. From this we will know that trees and plants also rain money.
The data shows that about 9,107.90 tonnes of carbon is stored in the park’s 2,02,100 trees that are 15-18 years old. Every year, 1,253.07 tonnes of additional carbon is stored in them. Its cost is Rs 12.35 crore and Rs 1.69 crore respectively. While these trees also remove 14.627 tonnes of pollutants every year.
Its price is equal to 1.84 crores. On the other hand, about 1,10,977 cubic feet of ground water is recharged every year. Its cost is around Rs 5.89 lakh. In this context, Aravalli trees are saving Rs 15 crore.
According to Dr. Fayyaz Khudsar, in-charge of Delhi’s Seven Biodiversity Parks, biodiversity works to remove carbon from the air. Greenery can be a lifesaver for pollution-ridden cities. If plants of a particular age group from just one park in Delhi can be so beneficial, the entire network of seven biodiversity parks spread over 3,000 acres makes sense, says Yamini, a professor in DU’s Department of Business Economics. It’s just the beginning. Now, economic evaluation of plants under 15 years of age and shrubs with stems less than one cm thick, herbs, grasses and soil carbon is being done. After this, the economic value of all the parks will be worked out.
American technology used
Global model I-Tree Eco software has been used in the economic evaluation. At the same time, the software suite of the United States Department of Agriculture was used to measure the thickness of the trees and its canopy etc. For this, samples of a total of 829 trees of 72 species were taken in the park. Based on the sampling data, the total number of trees fully grown in 500 acres of Aravalli Biodiversity Park is 2,02,100 trees.
Seven parks of DDA are in 3000 acres
DDA now has a network of 7 Biodiversity Parks spread over an area of 3000 acres. It has 2,500 species of plants and animals living in 75–100 forest communities. The height of the trees is up to 45 feet. Of these, the Aravalli Biodiversity Park was started 20 years ago. The vegetation developed in it is about 15-18 years old. It is spread over 692 acres.