Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) proposed a "green drive" to increase the forest cover of the city in the wake of the Commonwealth Games. The "Green Action Plan" would see the MCD undertake massive plantation of saplings, transplantation of trees, and the establishment and development of parks around the city. This move has brought cheer to Delhiites, who long for fresh air outside their homes. The ongoing preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the city in 2010 have resulted in large-scale construction of roads, flyovers and expansion of the Metro rail routes. With the proposed green drive, the MCD aims to balance the negative impact on the environment of Delhi created by these measures in the past few years. Also, a report conducted by the Forest Survey of India in February revealed that Delhi's forest cover had substantially increased, and the MCD reportedly wants to build on that momentum. Thus, the initiative to increase the forest cover is encouraging, and is a welcome move by the government, opine many. In a statement to the media on the proposed green drive, Aarti Mehra, the mayor of Delhi said, "Planting of saplings, development of parks and gardens and beautification of roundabouts are among the various measures the MCD is taking to increase the green cover in Delhi. We will also carry out developing and landscaping of 304 parks at a cost of Rs 3.62 crore. Also, for the benefit of the public, specially the senior citizens, 10,000 new steel benches would be installed in parks. The removal of all encroachment would also be ensured within three months." But the proposal has received flak and criticism from a lobby of environmentalists. According to them, the construction done for the "development" of Delhi has had an adverse affect on its greenery, and the alleged felling and transplantation of trees have decreased not only the "tree cover" of the city, but has also unbalanced the mini-ecosystem thriving around us. They also claim that the plan of action adopted by the MCD would not, in any way, lead to the betterment of the sad state of Delhi, which has turned into a concrete jungle. Says Prathik Kumar, a leading environmentalist of the capital, "It is usually thought that construction of parks and planting of trees is the solution to all environmental problems, which is a misconception. All our parks have just three species of trees, which are the Ashok, Palm and Gulmohar. These are ornamental trees and are usually planted just to add to the beauty of the place. But, because of the absence of supporting plants like creepers, bushes and other species, they have not developed into habitats. One cannot find a single bird nest on these trees." So what are the possible solutions? Says Kumar, "There needs to be a well planned survey of the areas and locations where trees are to be placed. Presently, we have trees on pavements whose roots are covered with cement, which makes them less resistant to withstand strong winds. Now, whenever it rains, we see so many trees uprooted. Also, no one cares about the existing trees, like providing manure and water regularly. Transplantation is done on a large scale, and a number of trees are axed because they come in the