NDMC Vice Chairperson Chahal participates in tree plantation drive

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Saturday participated in a tree plantation drive at Sarojini Nagar under the Prime Minister’s flagship initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”.

The programme, held at Palika Karamchari Awas in Sarojini Vihar, brought together local residents, members of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) and NDMC officials in a collective effort to expand urban green cover.

The plantation drive focused on encouraging people to plant and nurture saplings in the name of their mothers, linking environmental responsibility with personal commitment. Residents, along with officials from NDMC’s Health and Horticulture departments, planted saplings and pledged to ensure their regular care and protection.

Chahal said the campaign was not limited to planting trees but aimed to build a deeper emotional connection with nature.

“This is not just a plantation programme. It symbolises our responsibility towards our mothers and Mother Nature. Every sapling planted in a mother’s name carries an emotional bond and a promise of protection,” he said. NDMC officials said the Sarojini Nagar drive is part of a larger effort to scale up public participation in greening initiatives across the capital’s core areas. According to Chahal, NDMC has been actively involving citizens, students, RWAs and institutions to make the campaign a people’s movement rather than a one-day event.

Highlighting the global outreach of the initiative, Chahal said NDMC has also organised plantation drives in the premises of embassies of more than 20 countries. These include Australia, Denmark, South Korea, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Poland, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Austria, Lithuania and Russia. “Such efforts send a message that environmental protection is a shared global responsibility,” he said.

The Vice Chairperson also announced that NDMC’s Horticulture Department has prepared a year-long action plan to sustain the campaign. Under this plan, tree plantation activities will be carried out regularly every Sunday, ensuring continuity beyond symbolic events.

Officials said NDMC will monitor the survival rate of saplings and involve local communities in their upkeep. “Planting a tree is only the first step. Its survival depends on care, watering and protection, and that is where citizen participation becomes crucial,” an NDMC horticulture official said.

Chahal said small individual efforts, when multiplied across the city, can play a significant role in tackling pollution and improving air quality.

He stressed that increasing green cover is essential for making Delhi cleaner, healthier and more liveable, especially in densely populated urban pockets.

The plantation drive also aligns with NDMC’s broader vision of sustainable urban development under the national goal of “Viksit Bharat @2047”. Chahal said NDMC is committed to integrating environmental sustainability with civic services, focusing on pollution control, greenery enhancement and quality of life.

Local residents welcomed the initiative, saying such drives help build awareness and ownership at the neighbourhood level. “When we plant a tree ourselves and take responsibility for it, we feel connected to our surroundings,” said an RWA member who participated in the drive.