Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched the ‘Greening Delhi’ programme by planting trees, and promising that PWD roads will be vacuum cleaned in two months.
“Apart from restoring greenery at road sides and central verges of 1,260 km of roads, the cleaning of roads will be carried out by vacuum cleaners,” Kejriwal said. He planted trees at ITO Chowk here.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader also tweeted: “Congrats Delhi. Vacuum cleaning and greening of Public Works Department (PWD) roads begin. Greening will (be) completed by October, vacuum cleaning on all roads in two months.”
Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) minister Satyendra Jain said ‘Greening Delhi’ initiative was taken by the horticulture wing of his department.
Under the initiative, greening of about 120 acres of roadside areas has been planned.
“At present, the PWD is maintaining about 1,260 km of roads including central verges, side verges and the ‘kutcha’ portion under flyovers. Many bald patches on central verges as well as in the side verges need to be greened to reduce pollution,” an official statement said.
The Delhi government move comes ahead of the second phase of the odd-even scheme for vehicles, set to return for a fortnight starting April 15.