Native Trees Will Transform Delhi’s Ridge Into The City’s Ecological Lifeline: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday flagged off Delhi’s extensive tree plantation campaign, under which 70 lakh saplings will be planted at 34 locations across the Capital.

Launching the initiative in the Central Ridge, the Minister described the project as a decisive step towards transforming the Ridge into Delhi’s ecological lifeline and improving the city’s environmental health.

Speaking at the launch event, Shah said the Ridge currently contains a large number of thorny babool and other invasive species that create the appearance of greenery but contribute little to ecological sustainability. He stressed the need to replace these with native vegetation that supports biodiversity and strengthens the natural ecosystem.

The government brought 7,784 hectares of the Ridge under the Indian Forest Act in 1994, but has not issued the final legal notification for nearly three decades.

The Minister welcomed the Delhi government’s decision to declare 5,000 hectares of the Ridge as forest land and said efforts would continue to extend legal protection to the remaining area.

Shah announced that the government will plant thousands of indigenous trees, including peepal, banyan, neem, gular, arjun and jamun, over the next three years. He said these long-lasting species would help restore biodiversity, conserve groundwater and soil, and significantly improve Delhi’s air quality.

NDMC’s Contribution

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is playing a key role in the plantation drive by preparing over 50,000 planting pits and planning to plant around 600 trees along with 50,000 shrubs.

NDMC Vice-Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal said the civic body has also completed 31 successive Sunday plantation programmes under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam – On Sunday’ initiative.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Shah described it as a meaningful nationwide movement that encourages citizens to contribute to environmental conservation. He said the plantation drive reflects the government’s long-term commitment to creating a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable Delhi.

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