For three years, the NDMC hold the tree ambulance project hostage.

  • Sept. 19, 2022, 1:11 p.m.

The bureaucratic limbo in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has forced the civic body’s three ambulance projects to remain in a deadlock for over three years now. The halted project is yet to see the light of the day because of the apathy of the transport department.

The project was paused after the registration of the sole vehicle used to run the scheme expired in 2019. Since then, there have been multiple attempts to restart the scheme, but the file kept shifting to various departments to receive approval, said officials.

A transport department official informed us that the department received the proposal in 2020 to procure the vehicle and equipment required for the triage ambulance. The demand was raised by the horticulture wing of NDMC, asking for the department's approval.

"The horticulture department sought our approval for the purchase of a vehicle and other equipment. Since it involved finances, we forwarded the request to the finance department, which returned the proposal, telling us that horticulture couldn’t be allowed to procure a vehicle. We have asked the horticulture to draught a fresh proposal for us. "

However, the department took more than two years only to return the proposal to the horticulture department, conveying two sentences of information: gain administrative approval and estimate sanction for the project. "The transport department will only procure the vehicle and hand it over to the horticulture department," said officials.

They said, "We made zero progress in these years. The department could have informed you earlier. The project will be resumed and fully operational by now. " However, the whole project was run by a single vehicle. This time, the proposal has been made for two tree ambulances.

Satish Upadhyay, vice chairperson, NDMC, said the civic body will expedite the project's restart on priority. "I know a lot of time has passed, but we're working hard to get it done as soon as possible."It will be restarted very soon, "he added.

The civic body launched the tree ambulance scheme in 2009 under the plan protection cell of the horticulture department. The people involved in it identify sick trees in need of urgent care and nurture them. 
This time, two vehicles, comparatively smaller than the previous one, have been proposed to cover the north and south zones of the NDMC.

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

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