Amit Shah Launches 70 Lakh Plantation Drive, Laid Foundation for Development Projects in Delhi
The Home Minister also laid the foundation stone for a high-security prison at Narela and launched a campaign to restore the Delhi Ridge, aimed at strengthening the capital's green cover and biodiversity.
As part of the Ridge restoration programme, the Delhi government has declared 5,000 hectares of the Ridge area as forest land and plans to provide legal protection to the entire 6,300-hectare green belt over the next four years. More than one crore native plants, including over 65 lakh large tree species such as peepal, banyan, neem, arjun, jamun and gular, will be planted to enhance the city's ecological balance.
The government has also prepared a Working Plan Document for 2026-2036, an Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan and Delhi's Bird Atlas as part of a broader strategy to restore the capital's ecosystem.
The restored Ridge will feature more than 70 ponds, archaeological conservation works, visitor facilities and eight themed forests, including Nakshatra Van, Rishi Van, Tirthankar Van, Shankar Van, Vaman Vriksha Van and Purani Vatika, to promote biodiversity and environmental awareness.
Shah urged Delhi residents to participate in the plantation drive by booking slots through the Green Drive Portal and planting trees under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. The Delhi government is also distributing free saplings through Vriksh Rath vehicles and providing nursery information through a dedicated locator service.
Highlighting efforts to clean the Yamuna River, the Home Minister said an agreement will soon be signed with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to prevent cattle waste from entering the river. The dung generated by dairies will instead be processed into biogas and organic manure.
He added that 129 sewage treatment plants (STPs) are currently operational across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while another 59 STPs are expected to be completed by the end of 2027 to improve wastewater treatment and water quality in the Yamuna.
Shah also said the Delhi government's new electric vehicle policy, along with the expansion of electric public transport, Yamuna rejuvenation and Ridge restoration initiatives, will support the development of a cleaner and more sustainable capital.
Published on:
08 July 2026
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