Saxena inaugurates DDA Green Expo 2026
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday inaugurated the first-ever Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Green Expo at Baansera, underlining the administration’s commitment to building a greener and healthier national Capital.
The two-day expo, themed ‘’Beyond Growth: Reimagining Urban Futures’’ brings together senior Government leaders, urban planners, climate experts and industry stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable city planning and climate-responsive development.
Officials described the approach as a transformative moment for Delhi’s public spaces. In addition, DDA also signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading national institutions to expand the scope and impact of its green initiatives. On the occasion, the Lt Governor also unveiled the DDA Greens logo and the DDA Greens Year Book 2026.
Inaugurating the green expo, Lt Governor said,” The expo reaffirms our commitment to a greener, healthier, and more hopeful future for Delhi.” Saxena said the expo reaffirms the city’s commitment to “a greener, healthier, and more hopeful future for Delhi.” He emphasised that the initiative goes beyond conferences and exhibitions.
“This expo is not only about conferences and exhibits, but also about people. It honours thousands of Delhi residents who nurture small green patches outside their homes, teach their children about local birds, plant saplings and care for them. They are the everyday heroes of our environmental journey,” he said.
Recalling the transformation of the venue, he noted that few could have imagined three years ago that a degraded and polluted site would host a green expo and become a platform for planning Delhi’s sustainable future. Describing Baansera as a “stellar example” of reclaiming degraded land, he said it stands as a testimony to resilience and collective endeavour.
DDA Vice chairman N Saravana Kumar said that the role of the Delhi Development Authority is often viewed as that of a master planner, developer, and regulator. However, alongside these responsibilities, DDA also has an extremely important and accountable role—that of Delhi’s Environmental Trustee.
While the two-day Expo brings together policymakers, planners, climate experts and industry leaders to deliberate on sustainable urban development, the highlight was the signing of strategic partnerships that will redefine how DDA parks function in the city.
A key highlight of the expo was the signing of strategic partnerships aimed at redefining the role of DDA parks in the city. Through these collaborations, DDA Greens are expected to evolve into living laboratories for learning, innovation, ecology and culture.
Under a first-of-its-kind partnership with the National School of Drama, DDA parks will host curated community theatre workshops and children’s theatre programmes, transforming open spaces into cultural classrooms.
An MoU with the University of Delhi will facilitate urban ecological research and student-led fieldwork within park landscapes, while collaboration with Delhi Technological University will introduce technology-driven sustainability solutions and youth innovation into park planning and management. Through the National Medicinal Plants Board, DDA will develop herbal gardens of national and state importance and medicinal nurseries across selected parks to strengthen biodiversity conservation.
In partnership with WWF-India, Citizens’ Nature Hubs will be established at Asita to promote environmental awareness and community stewardship. Additionally, following an approach from the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority, DDA will enter into an MoU to serve as a knowledge partner in sustainable urban planning and nature-based development practices.
The expo to feature high-impact panel discussions and expert sessions addressing some of the most pressing urban challenges, including extreme heat, flood resilience, nature-based infrastructure, circular food systems and innovative financing for green cities.
