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Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today launched the ‘Mission 70 Lakh Plantation’ campaign in New Delhi and inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various works of the Delhi Government. Under the Grand Master Plan for developing Delhi, Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched 300 electric buses, e-inaugurated three newly built bus depots and 40 vehicle testing centers, laid the foundation stone for a High Security Prison in Narela, and also launched a campaign to revive the Ridge area. On this occasion, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Shri Harsh Malhotra, and several other dignitaries were present.
Addressing the event, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that many poisonous and thorny trees are visible in Delhi’s Ridge area, which create an illusion of a green Delhi when seen, but are not favorable to our environment. He said that in 1994, 7,784 hectares of Delhi’s Ridge area were notified under the Indian Forest Act, but its final notification was not issued for 30 years. He said the Delhi Government has taken a positive step in this direction and declared 5,000 hectares of this area as forest land. Shri Shah said that the government is going to provide legal protection to the entire Ridge, giving a new form to its biodiversity, soil, water, and Delhi’s environment. Within three years, trees that live for more than 100 years such as peepal, banyan, neem, gular, arjun, and jamun will be planted across the entire Ridge to turn it into the lungs of a green Delhi.
Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, by launching the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, has initiated a remarkable effort for environmental balance in the country. He said indiscriminate tree felling has created large holes in the ozone layer, causing an imbalance in the earth’s temperature. The only way to stop this problem is to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from the earth. He said only trees can accomplish this task, and that is why Prime Minister Modi has given the slogan ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.’
Union Home Minister appealed to people to plant trees in the name of their mothers and for Mother Earth. This campaign, with its dual purpose, will help India move forward in the coming days. He said this campaign has sent a message not only to India but to the entire world that development without concern for environmental balance is pointless. Shri Shah appealed to the residents of Delhi to plant at least one tree in their mother’s name and to involve children in this effort, as they will have to carry forward the resolve of a ‘Green Delhi’ in the future.
Shri Amit Shah appealed to all residents of Delhi to visit the Green Drive Portal and book their slot for tree plantation, and to plant trees wherever land is available in nearby schools, colonies, temples, and societies to fulfill the resolve of a green Delhi. He said that free saplings are being provided to people through the Vriksh Rath launched by the Delhi Government, and the Nursery Locator facility also provides information about nearby nurseries.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the Government of India and the Government of Delhi have resolved to fully develop 6,300 hectares of green Ridge area into forest land over the next four years and ensure its protection. This 6,300-hectare green Ridge will become the lungs of Delhi, protecting the environment of the capital. Under this, more than 1 crore native plants, more than 65 lakh plants that grow to become large trees, and 65 lakh other plants will be planted. He said the Delhi Government with the help of the Government of India has prepared a Working Plan Document (2026 to 2036). We have formulated the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan, and also prepared Delhi’s Bird Atlas. He said this is a comprehensive effort to restore the entire ecosystem.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the Ridge will have more than 70 ponds and small restaurants, and its archaeological structures will also be preserved there. He said eight special forests will be developed in the Ridge area including Nakshatra Van, Mel Van, Rishi Van, Tirthankar Van, Shankar Van, Vaman Vriksha Van, and Purani Vatika. Through these, efforts will be made to connect people with nature.
Shri Amit Shah said that they are working rapidly to fulfill the target given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the purification of the Yamuna river. He said cow dung from Delhi’s dairies will no longer flow directly into the Yamuna river. Shri Amit Shah said that an agreement will soon be signed with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to ensure that not even one kilogram of dung enters the Yamuna. He said the previous Delhi government used to dump 1,500 metric tonnes of dung into the Yamuna river every day. Now, under an agreement between the Modi Government and the Delhi Government, this dung will be processed into gas and natural manure, which will make a huge contribution to the purification of the Yamuna river. Shri Shah said that a total of 129 sewage treatment plants (STPs) are now operational across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, and 59 new STPs are expected to be completed by the end of 2027. These plants will deliver treated water into the Yamuna, and it will also be ensured that the quality of water released from these plants meets all prescribed standards.
Union Home Minister said the Delhi Government has launched an Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. Through initiatives such as Yamuna purification, the comprehensive transformation of the Ridge area, restoration of the environmental ecosystem, and the EV policy, we will realize the vision of a greener and more sustainable Delhi.