Delhi’s air quality often crosses hazardous levels, with AQI readings above 400 during winter months. In this backdrop, plantation drives are not just ceremonial—they are preventive measures against environmental crime and negligence. By linking saplings to mothers, the campaign creates a personal stake in conservation, aiming to transform passive citizens into active guardians of urban greenery.
In a city often battling headlines of pollution, civic neglect, and environmental crime, a different narrative unfolded this Sunday at Palika Gram, NDMC Flats, Laxmibai Nagar. Inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s initiative ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal led a plantation drive that blended emotion, tradition, and civic responsibility.
The event, marked by community participation and symbolic gestures, saw residents plant saplings in the names of their mothers—an act that tied environmental conservation to personal legacy.
The Drive
- Saplings Planted: Peepal, Champa, Neem, Ashok, and other native species.
- Participants: Local residents, RWA representatives, NDMC officers from Civil, Health, and Horticulture departments.
- Commitment: Each participant pledged to nurture and protect the sapling dedicated to their mother.
Chahal emphasized, “This is not merely a plantation programme, but a symbol of our collective responsibility towards our mothers and nature.”
Beyond Symbolism: A Structured Campaign
- The plantation drive is part of a weekly Sunday initiative under the #EkPedMaaKeNaamOnSunday campaign.
- NDMC’s Horticulture Department has prepared an annual action plan to ensure continuity.
- The campaign has extended internationally, with plantation activities carried out in the embassy premises of 20+ countries including Australia, Denmark, Korea, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Poland, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Austria, Lithuania, and Russia.
This global outreach underscores Delhi’s attempt to position itself as a hub of environmental cooperation.
Civic Oversight
During his visit, Shri Chahal also inspected the Palika Gram residential complex, issuing instructions for:
- Construction of ramps for senior citizens.
- Repair of boundary walls and gates.
- Resolution of seepage issues.
Such interventions highlight NDMC’s dual focus: green initiatives and citizen-centric infrastructure improvements.
—The End
