The city government is on a tree planting drive ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Urban Indians are realizing the problem that is staring at us and therefore concerted efforts are being made to turm the Capital green. After decades of reckless industrialization the environment is back on the nation's agenda," says Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment. But there are some who do not agree. Ravi Agarwal of the NGO, Srishti, which is fighting to save the Ridge in the Capital says, "In the last 30 years, there has been a significant depletion in the green cover. Just 40 % of the present forests are reported intact. The other 40 % have a degraded cover and the rest is scrubland." The Capital has received worldwide appreciation for its lush green lawns. But the city faced severe criticism in 2007 when the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) took up more than 123 acres of green belt, in the heart of South Delhi, for constructing concrete bungalows for ministers and bureaucrats. The city's most vital "green" area other than the Ridge came under threat. "The project had 492 houses for government bigwigs at a cost of Rs. 611crores," informs VK Rastogi of NBCC. Activist Manoj Mishra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan says, "Any construction, especially a multi-storeyed one, on the green belt is inviting disaster. Environmentally speaking, it is like a death trap." Construction at any of the green sites also means depletion of the water table in that area. The Capital's builders are notorious for multiplying the number of houses in each area for more profits. This would in turn, also mean a reduction in groundwater levels, worsen