Delhi Government’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation campaign is gathering remarkable momentumLaunched with the goal of planting 70 lakh saplings across the Capital, the mega drive has now crossed the
Published: August 6, 2026, 12:21 PM IST
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Delhi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation drive gains momentum, achieves 54% of 70-lakh target (Pic: X)
Delhi Government’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation campaign is gathering remarkable momentumLaunched with the goal of planting 70 lakh saplings across the Capital, the mega drive has now crossed the halfway markAs of August 3, 2026, a total of 37 lakh 99 thousand 583 saplings have been planted, achieving nearly 54% of the overall targetThis includes 17 lakh 13 thousand 350 trees and 20 lakh 86 thousand 233 shrubsOn August 3 alone, 87,589 saplings were plantedThe figures have been released in the Delhi Government’s Delhi Green Warriors’ progress report.
The campaign was launched on July 7 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha GuptaOn the same day, plantation activities began simultaneously at 51 locations across the citySince then, the campaign has continued to gain pace with active participation from government departments, social organisations, schools and citizensAccording to Delhi Government data, large-scale plantation is being carried out in the Central Ridge, DDA Ridge, and Southern RidgeTogether, these three Ridge areas have a target of planting 28 lakh 42 thousand 278 trees and 11 lakh 54 thousand 364 shrubsSo far, 2 lakh 73 thousand 690 saplings have been planted in the Central Ridge, 33 thousand 706 in the DDA Ridge and 8 lakh 46 thousand 968 in the Southern Ridge.
Public participation in the campaign has also continued to growBetween July 8 and August 3, 89,958 people booked plantation slots online, of whom 83,209 turned up to participateTogether, they planted 1,47,580 saplingsOverall, 1,10,657 slot bookings have been recorded for the campaign so farThe Delhi Government’s Vriksh Rath initiative has also played an important role in taking saplings directly to peopleSo far, 9,909 saplings have been planted and 40,544 saplings distributed through the initiativeOn August 3 alone, 250 saplings were planted and 2,408 distributedIn addition, 5 lakh 43 thousand 514 saplings have been distributed free of cost through government nurseries, including 8,840 saplings distributed on August 3.
Under the Environment Saviour programme, launched to encourage citizens contributing towards environmental conservation, 2,575 people have been recognised so far, including 39 new awardees added on August 3Meanwhile, the campaign website has recorded 2,37,651 visitors, where citizens can book plantation slots, track daily progress and access campaign-related information.
The campaign is no longer limited to government efforts alone and has received widespread public supportSo far, 17 MLAs have led plantation drives in their respective constituencies, with 2,855 citizens participating and planting 5,347 saplingsA total of 2,282 students from 44 schools have planted 14,450 saplingsThe campaign has also seen active participation from the Delhi Police, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the General Counsels’ Association of India, the Rotary Club, the Delhi Medical Association, and the Indian Forest Service Officers’ Wives Association (IFSOWA)Senior officers of the Delhi Government also participated in a plantation drive led by the Chief Secretary on July 24.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the objective of the campaign is not only to plant more trees but also to ensure that they surviveThat is why species suited to local conditions are being selected, while special emphasis is being placed on regular watering, protection and monitoring to improve the survival rate of the saplingsShe said that making Delhi greener, cleaner and healthier is not just the responsibility of the government but a shared responsibility of every citizenAccording to her, ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ has now grown beyond a government programme into a people’s movementThe aim is not merely to plant 70 lakh saplings, but to build a greener and better Delhi for future generations.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the Delhi Government has designed the campaign around public participationInitiatives such as online slot booking, Vriksh Rath, free sapling distribution and the Environment Saviour programme have encouraged greater citizen involvementHe said the government wants every Assembly constituency, every colony and every family to become part of this green missionThe focus is now equally on protecting and maintaining the saplings so that the campaign brings lasting environmental change to Delhi.
