Delhi Cabinet gives nod to SPV for greening activities

NEW DELHI: Delhi Cabinet on Monday gave the nod to setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle with the aim to give a proper thrust to its numerous greening activities in the capital.

To be known as Delhi Parks and Gardens Society, the SPV would encourage greening activities among the RWAs in local parks and gardens.

"The objective of the society would be to create a green environment, identify vacant spaces for taking up greening projects, working with local bodies, involvement of RWAs in maintaining parks and gardens," Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters here after the Cabinet meeting.

Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta will head the Society to be represented by officials from Delhi Government, MCD, NDMC, DDA and RWAs.

Delhi's green cover in nine years has grown ten times from 32 sq km to 320 sq km and setting up of the Society is the government's efforts to not only maintain the green cover but also to enhance it to combat increasing pollution, Dikshit said.

The Cabinet at the meeting also gave nod for implementation of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993 to facilitate conversion of dry latrines into water type and liberation and rehabilitation of manual scavengers.