NEWS

At the ITO nursery on Outer Ring Road, trees felled for various infrastructure projects are getting a new lease of life. To make sure that none of the trees cut in Delhi are wasted, the Forest department has started a drive, which involves replanting tree stumps and developing them into bonsai plants.

On an average, about 2,000 trees are cut in Delhi each year. In 2010, the Delhi government had hiked the fine for cutting a tree from Rs 1,000 to Rs 28,000. “Currently, we are converting trees only of the Ficus family, such as Pilkan, Pipal, Gular and Bargad into bonsai,” said Chief Conservator of Forests D M Shukla. The Forest department plans to raise at least 1,000 bonsai plants annually.

The Forest department has hired a bonsai specialist from Bulandshar, Mohammed Hussain Khan, for the job. The 52-year-old man has been working in this field for the last 15 years.