Go green: An ambulance for sick trees takes internet by storm

The service started in 2010. Four people have been running this service in the national capital.

Fact Check

The claim is True.

NewsMeter performed a keyword search which directed us to the website 'Homegrown' that had published the image.

According to the report, In February 2010, the Delhi Municipal Corporation inaugurated the first-ever Tree Ambulance service, for taking care of the trees in the local areas maintained by the NDMC. A majority of the trees in Lutyens Delhi are more than a century old. Of which only a few were able to withstand the 2009 monsoons.

The older the tree, the hollower their trunks become, making it more difficult to fight disease. And these trees have had their own set of health issues, which the ambulance service has been able to efficiently handle.

We also found reports by Financial Express and Business Standard that were published in 2017. The reports had stated that this Tree ambulance is an initiative by New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) which was launched in 2010.

According to a report by The Better India, the team operating the ambulance and taking care of the trees comprises Rohtash Sharma, the supervisor, Beghraj the driver, and Anokhelal and Sunil who are the men working on the ground. There were two more people who were part of this team. However, they recently retired from service.

However, it is to be noted that the post mentions the initiative came into effect in 2009. The idea of this initiative came after the monsoons in 2009. Around 100 trees were found uprooted. The initiative was then launched in 2010. This service is available in the areas under New Delhi Municipal Corporation

It is therefore evident that the claim made through the viral post is True. The tree ambulance service started in 2010.