LG leads DDA’s 1-lakh tree plantation drive in Capital
In one of its biggest coordinated plantation initiatives, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) planted over one lakh native trees and shrubs across 77 locations in the national Capital on Friday, with Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu leading the campaign at Kamla Nehru Ridge.
The Lieutenant Governor was joined by nearly 200 participants, including students from St Stephen’s College, Hindu College, Hans Raj College and Maharishi Valmiki College, students from Mamta Public School and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, morning walkers and members of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).
Addressing the gathering, Sandhu said plantation drives should become a regular exercise and be replicated across other ridge areas in the city. Stressing the need for youth participation, he said ecological restoration efforts must be driven by younger generations to ensure a greener Delhi for the future.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed the DDA to appoint a nodal officer for every plantation site to monitor the survival and growth of saplings, making them accountable for the long-term success of the plantation programme.
The plantation at Kamla Nehru Ridge included indigenous species such as Dhok, Amaltas, Dhak and Gamhar, selected for their suitability to Delhi’s ecology and their role in strengthening biodiversity and improving wildlife habitats.
Simultaneous plantation drives were held at 76 other locations, including Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Aastha Kunj Park, Sanjay Van, parks in Narela, Paschim Puri, Hauz Khas, Vasant Udyan and Dilshad Garden Deer Park. Native species such as Peepal, Neem, Jamun, Arjun and Shisham, along with shrubs including Bougainvillea, Murraya and Hamelia, were planted based on site-specific ecological plans. Following the plantation drive, Sandhu visited the Serpentine Lake and Butterfly Conservatory to review hydrological restoration works being undertaken by the DDA for water conservation and ecological restoration in the Ridge area.
According to the DDA, the initiative is part of its larger monsoon afforestation programme aimed at expanding Delhi’s green cover, restoring degraded landscapes and improving climate resilience.
The plantation campaign is also linked to the Centre’s 70 Lakh Plantation Mission under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign. Under the programme, the DDA has been assigned the task of planting 23 lakh indigenous saplings across Delhi.
