Hans News Service New Delhi

ChiefMinister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday that the Delhi government plans to develop 100 "oxygen parks" featuring dense tree cover to improve the city's climate and address pollution issues. Laying the foundation stone of the park to be developed on 3-acre land in Mukhmelpur village in north Delhi's Burari, Gupta stated that this will be the first such park in the city.

"Delhi was turned into a gas chamber for years, but nobody was concerned to take steps to address pollution in Delhi," the chief minister said and announced that her government has set a target of planting more than 70 lakh trees, shrubs and hedges across the city this year. She noted that her government has been actively working for the past year to combat pollution, and the establishment of these parks is part of that initiative. The chief minister said the parks will have dense fruit-bearing trees to provide shelter to birds and provide oxygen.

"These parks with dense trees are a requirement of Delhi," she said The park in Mukhmelpur designed with both public convenience and environmental sustainability in mind, will feature walking tracks, energy-efficient lighting, huts for seating and relaxation, a landscaped pond and a variety of shade-giving tree species. Large green lawns and open spaces will also be developed as part of the project, said a CMO statement.