New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) The Delhi government has achieved nearly 58 per cent of its target of planting 70 lakh trees under its Mega Plantation Drive 2026, with around 40.49 lakh saplings planted so far, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday.
Sirsa made the announcement during a tree plantation programme organised at PBG Ground in Central Ridge on the occasion of ‘Hariyali Utsav’, in the presence of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Delhi minister Parvesh Sahib Singh.
Sirsa said the plantation drive is being carried out under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for greater public participation in environmental conservation.
More than one lakh citizens have joined the Mega Plantation Drive 2026 and facilitated the plantation of 2.60 lakh trees, he said.
The minister said schools, colleges, resident welfare associations, market associations and industry bodies have also participated in the campaign.
Representatives from around 90 countries have participated in the plantation drive, while the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges, along with their families, have also planted saplings, according to the Delhi government.
Addressing the event, Chouhan said the 70-lakh plantation target was being achieved with active public participation, giving people a sense of ownership and making the initiative more sustainable.
He said the Delhi government’s initiative to geo-tag planted trees and provide citizens with regular updates on their size, age and growth was an exceptional move that could help ensure that saplings not only get planted but also survive and flourish.
Chouhan urged people to make tree plantation a part of their lives and said those unable to plant a tree every day should at least plant one on their birthday.
Chouhan also called for creation of a nationwide “Vriksh Mitra Parivar” to connect more people with the movement to protect nature.
Sirsa said the Delhi government is using technology to track the survival and growth of trees planted under the campaign.
Every tree planted by the government is being geo-tagged, with its location, photograph, height and other relevant details recorded, he said.
Citizens participating in the drive are also being provided QR codes through which they can access updated photographs and information about the trees they have planted.
The minister said the system was aimed at creating a sense of ownership and responsibility among citizens and ensuring that plantation did not remain limited to putting a sapling in the ground.
The government has also launched a dedicated plantation portal and undertaken an outreach campaign to encourage citizens to participate in the drive, Sirsa said.
The Delhi government is simultaneously undertaking restoration works across 51 sites across the Ridge, with a focus on native plant species and ecological revival, he said.
Sirsa said the government is working to restore the ecological character of the Ridge by promoting native species and reducing the presence of species that are not suited to the local ecosystem.
He said the 70-lakh plantation mission is not merely a numerical target but a commitment towards improving green cover, air quality and the environment of the capital.
The government will continue to work with citizens, educational institutions, RWAs, associations and other stakeholders to ensure that the plantation drive results in trees surviving and growing, he added. PTI SGV ARB
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