Minister Ashish Sood launches ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ drive

Education, Home and Power Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday launched the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign in Janakpuri. Under this drive, the Delhi Government has set an ambitious target of planting 70 lakh saplings across the city this year.

Planting a teak sapling in memory of his mother Sushila Devi at A-2 Block Park, Ram Vatika, Sood said the campaign is not just about planting trees but about taking collective responsibility for the environment and gifting cleaner air to future generations. West Delhi MP Kamaljit Shehrawat also participated by planting a sapling in her mother Gyan Devi’s name.

Addressing residents and officials present, Sood said previous governments had misled people for decades in the name of pollution control but failed to ensure clean air for Delhiites. “In the last 27 years, no government cared for Delhi’s environment. But under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s leadership, we are working at multiple levels to build a clean, safe and green Capital,” he said.

He called the campaign a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and love for nature, saying “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” is deeply rooted in India’s cultural and emotional fabric. “It is not just a celebration of planting trees, but it is also a symbol of our joint responsibility towards our mother earth. It is a pledge to give life to the coming generations. This is a resolution through which we want to give the gift of life and greenery to the coming generations,” he added.