New Delhi: Compensatory plantation ordered by Supreme Court after Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) illegal felling of over 1,100 trees in Southern Ridge in 2024 was inaugurated as Namo Oxygen Parks on Friday.The trees in reserve area were felled to widen the road leading to Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences in south Delhi.On World Environment Day, Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Kirti Vardhan Singh, chief minister Rekha Gupta and environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa inaugurated 18 Namo Oxygen Parks spread over 185.4 acres across Delhi. Officials said the parks, planted largely with native species such as peepal, banyan, jamun, neem and mango, were aimed at expanding green cover and improving air quality.The locations include Karala, Pansali, Prahladpur Banger, Shahpur Garhi, Alipur and Tikri Khurd in north Delhi; Maidangarhi and Satbari in south Delhi; and Dhoolsiras in west Delhi. The sites match the 18 land parcels transferred to the forest department for compensatory afforestation following the 2025 order in the contempt case Bindu Kapurea vs Subhasish Panda, the then DDA vice-chairman.The inauguration was held at Maidangarhi in Southern Ridge, adjacent to the road whose widening led to the tree felling. CM announced plans to develop 100 such oxygen parks across Delhi and plant 70 lakh trees and saplings this year. Yadav described the initiative as an important step towards cleaner urban spaceswhile Sirsa highlighted the notification of nearly 11,000 acres as forest area.Field biologists, however, said while saplings might produce oxygen within weeks, they could take two to five years, depending on the species, to start delivering broader ecological benefits such as temperature regulation, biodiversity support and meaningful enhancement of green cover.“Calling these parks a new environmental achievement is misleading. This was a penalty and a restoration measure,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, who was among the first people to highlight the issue.
