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Lutyens' Delhi has lost more than 350 trees due to rain and storm in the past three years, data from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) showed. According to the data, more than eight lakh saplings were planted in the NDMC region over a period of two years. In reply to an RTI query by PTI, the civic body stated that it also engaged residents and societies in mass plantation programmes to increase green cover. Indigenous tree species such as neem, peepal, pilkhan, jamun, arjun, khirni, and imli were planted in the NDMC area when British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens was entrusted with the task to plan New Delhi in 1911. "A total of 354 trees have fallen in last three years due to heavy storm and rain. The NDMC's horticulture department is regularly doing pruning to balance the trees. As many as 8,38,675 tree saplings have been planted in NDMC area in last two years," the NDMC said. It also said that at present there are 1.5 lakh threes in the NDMC area. In the RTI reply, the
Earlier this week, authorities had to evict the estranged wife of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah from the 7 Akbar Road bungalow, allotted to the family 17 years ago. Since no family member is a Union minister or chief minister, an eviction notice was served. Officials say many politicians and retired bureaucrats make every effort to stay in these government bungalows despite having completed their terms for the following reasons:1 The rent of the biggest bungalow for politicians, bureaucrats and judges is less than Rs 4,000 a month2 These bungalows sprawl over 2-3 acres, with huge lawns3 Rent for a similar private bungalow ranges from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh a month4 Bungalows on Prithviraj Road, Amrita Shergill Road & Aurangzeb Road command premium rent5 The value of one bungalow is at least Rs 100 crore. Sale of a 2.4 acre plot in March 2015 had fetched Rs 304 cr6 Lutyens Bungalow Zone covers approximately 3,000 acres or 1.5 per cent of the landmass of De