The Supreme Court ordered compensatory plantation after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) illegally felled over 1,100 trees in the Southern Ridge in 2024. These parks were inaugurated as Namo Oxygen Parks on Friday. The trees were cut down in the reserve area to widen the road leading to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences in south Delhi.
Inauguration on World Environment Day
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 stated that the parks, planted largely with native species such as peepal, banyan, jamun, neem, and mango, aim to expand green cover and improve air quality.
Locations of the Parks
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. These 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 Gupta 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 spaces, while Sirsa highlighted the notification of nearly 11,000 acres as forest area.
Criticism from Field Biologists
Field biologists, however, noted that 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. Bhavreen Kandhari, who was among the first to highlight the issue, said, Calling these parks a new environmental achievement is misleading. This was a penalty and a restoration measure.
