MCD will tag trees using AI, says mayor

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi is going to start a tree census for the first time and aims to complete the exercise within 15 days.“The horticulture department will give a serial number to each tree. In the first phase, census of trees will be done manually. In the second phase, location's identification and tagging of trees will be done through artificial intelligence technology. This will be the first time that tagging of trees will be done (by MCD) using AI technology,” said mayor Shelly Oberoi.She added that the project would help authorities know the actual number of trees under the municipal corporation’s jurisdiction.“This initiative will enable easy identification of trees and will help in their pruning. Also, counting of trees will help in controlling illegal tree cutting and ensuring greenery of the city. Apart from this, the exact data of trees in all the wards will be known. Based on this, the department will make a plan for the plantation and maintenance,” said the mayor.Oberoi further said that the AAP government-led MCD was making every possible effort to increase the green cover. Under the Green Delhi Action Plan 2023-24, 84,143 trees and 2,36,092 bushy plants have been planted by the horticulture department till the month of November. There is a plan to develop five forests based on the Miyawaki technology.“The Arvind Kejriwal’s government has set a target of increasing the green cover of the city from 23% to 27% in the next few years,” said the mayor.