Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Tuesday to adopt innovative means including identifying land where people could plant trees under the ‘ek ped ma k naam’ drive under the ‘Dilli Gramodaya Abhiyan’.

He directed the agencies to distribute sapling to people free of cost and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) should be brought on board to ensure plantation and further monitoring of the growth. Saxena said that plantation should be done along railway tracks and along the boundary of school premises.

“Agencies and departments should identify land where people could come and plant trees under the “ek ped ma k naam” drive launched by the Prime Minister on 5th June on the occasion of World Environment Day,” he stated, adding that while DDA and NDMC were directed to identify such sites on their parks, forests and the Yamuna floodplain, the Education Department was advised to do the same in its schools and college premises.

He advised on planting of fruiting trees like bananas that start fruiting in a short time and guavas, jamun, mangoes and ber in the ridge and other forested areas, to ensure that animals also enjoy it. “This will, apart from minimising man-animal conflict, also ensure controlling the monkey menace in the city apart from addressing the issue of traffic snarls due to feeding of such animals by people on roads,” he stated.   

Saxena, who recently chaired an inter-departmental meeting to review the plantation exercise in Delhi, directed DDA and NDMC to adopt innovative methods while advising the Environment and Forests, Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Public Works Department to follow the same.