Jaipur: The vision of increasing green cover in the state capital of Rajasthan appears to be a fading dream as both the civic bodies have failed to initiate the plantation drive, despite the timely arrival of monsoon in Jaipur.The Jaipur Development Authority ( JDA ) and Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) continue to struggle to complete the tender process. This monsoon, JMC has proposed to plant 50,000 saplings. However, as tender process remains incomplete, the civic body has not planted a single tree yet.Vimlesh Meena, chairperson of garden committee said, “The process is ongoing and we will complete it by Wednesday. It was delayed due to administrative approvals. However, soon plantation of 50,000 saplings will start in the city.”While, JMC has not even started the tender process yet, the JDA has invited re-tenders after receiving a single bid. The civic body has proposed to plant nearly 10,000 saplings of trees and flowering shrubs at various government buildings in the city. The JDA dreamt about increasing green cover nearly 30 lakh square metre of land lying unutilised at government buildings. However, it appears far from reality. An official at horticulture wing at JDA said, “Total 26 tenders for maintenance and plantation, out of which contractors did not participate in 19 tenders. Now re-tendering has been done, which is expected to be completed by end of this month.”The civic bodies’ callousness towards the annual plantation comes at a time when the city’s green cover area is woefully short of the targets mentioned in master plan 2025.According to the master plan 2025, it was proposed to enhance per capita of open space to 8.80 sq. metre for a population projected to grow at 6.50 million by 2025. However, as per JDA’s last report, the city has only 11.3% of its area under green cover which falls short of the mandatory 20%.The situation has aroused as JDA and other agencies including Jaipur metro axed trees in large numbers for various projects. Around 25,000 trees for the Ring Road project, 500 trees for the BRTS corridor on New Sanganer road. Similarly, Jaipur metro cut more than 900 trees and 490 big trees are proposed to be chopped for rejuvenation of Dravyavati river.

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