70 lakh saplings to be planted across city this year, says CM

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Delhi came together in a vibrant display of environmental commitment, with government leaders, civic bodies and citizens participating in large-scale tree plantation drives and awareness campaigns across the Capital.

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Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led the state’s observance by planting a sapling within the AIIMS campus, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.

She announced that the Delhi Government aims to plant 70 lakh saplings this year as part of its green mission and urged citizens to join the movement to turn it into a public revolution.

Stressing the need for joint efforts, she said, “Beautification of Delhi, Yamuna cleaning, landfill removal and green cover expansion are possible only when people and government work together.”

Highlighting the government’s zero-tolerance policy on defacement, the Chief Minister reiterated her instruction to remove posters, banners and wall art from public spaces and called for active public participation in improving the city’s aesthetics.

To mark both Environment Day and 11 years of the “Sankalp Se Siddhi” journey of the Modi government, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva relaunched the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative at the booth level.

Planting a sapling at the Delhi BJP office, he showcased the plant he had planted the previous year, now grown into a tree. Sachdeva criticised the previous administration for alleged corruption in tree plantation schemes and failing to curb pollution. He said the BJP government was now taking concrete steps to improve roads and increase green spaces, with visible change expected by 2026.

At the Delhi Legislative Assembly premises, Speaker Vijender Gupta joined the celebrations by planting saplings and taking a pledge to shun plastic. “Plastic is a curse,” he said, adding that Delhi should aim to become as vibrant and fragrant as the ‘City of Gardens’.

Minister Ashish Sood also participated by using public transport to attend a plantation programme at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya in Gole Market. “Even symbolic efforts like riding the Metro or e-rickshaw matter. Let’s all do our bit to reduce pollution,” he urged.

Meanwhile, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) kicked off its green campaign at Nehru Park, where NDMC chairman Keshav Chandra planted a sapling of Lagerstroemia (Pride of India). He announced that the NDMC will plant over 2,000 trees and nearly 5 lakh shrubs this monsoon.

Emphasising the 2025 Environment Day theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, Chandra underlined the urgency of tackling plastic waste and its long-term environmental impact.

Across the city, civic officials, MLAs, schoolchildren and residents joined in similar events planting trees, taking eco-friendly pledges and advocating for a cleaner, greener Delhi. As one voice, Delhi echoed a message of shared responsibility and sustainable progress.