By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi has launched one of its biggest environmental restoration initiatives, with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurating the Mission 70 Lakh Tree Plantation Campaign under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative. The campaign aims to plant 70 lakh saplings across the national capital during 2026-27 while accelerating ecological restoration of Delhi’s Ridge forests.
Launching the campaign at Central Park in R.K. Puram after plantation drives at the Central Ridge and Nanakpura Ridge, Shah also unveiled the Delhi Ridge Eco-Restoration Programme, with more than 12 lakh saplings to be distributed free of cost to encourage public participation.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government was pursuing development and environmental protection simultaneously, stressing that clean transport, expanding green cover, modern infrastructure and scientific environmental management were central to the city’s long-term growth strategy.
She said the government had allocated a ₹22,236-crore Green Budget this year to strengthen pollution control, forest development, electric mobility, waste management and clean energy initiatives. Gupta urged every Delhi resident to plant and nurture at least one sapling, saying environmental conservation must become a people’s movement.
The government plans to plant over one crore native plants across nearly 6,303 hectares of Ridge area over the next four years, including 35 lakh native trees and over 65 lakh shrubs, bamboo and climbers, making it one of the largest scientific ecological restoration programmes undertaken by any metropolitan city.
Officials said the plantation drive will adopt a three-tier forest model featuring native species such as Peepal, Banyan, Neem, Arjun and Jamun to improve biodiversity, carbon sequestration and natural regeneration. Every sapling will be geo-tagged and digitally monitored to ensure long-term survival.
The initiative also includes the notification of around 4,850 hectares of Ridge land as Reserved Forest, providing stronger legal protection against encroachment and environmental degradation. In addition, eight new water bodies and eight theme-based forests are being developed to improve groundwater recharge, conserve biodiversity and promote environmental awareness.
