Overview
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Mission 70 Lakh citywide plantation drive on Tuesday and flagged the Delhi Ridge Eco‑Restoration Programme to revive the capital’s degraded woodlands.
- NDMC led a mega plantation across 34 locations, reporting more than 612 trees and about 50,200 shrubs planted after preparing over 50,000 planting pits in advance.
- The eco‑restoration plan schedules planting of more than 1 crore native plants across 6,303.55 hectares from 2026 to 2030, with phased annual targets that include 35.5 lakh trees and 64.9 lakh shrubs, climbers and bamboo.
- Authorities say the programme will use scientific measures such as removal of invasive species, a three‑tier native forest model, creation of water bodies, geo‑tagging and digital monitoring of every sapling, and a public Green Drive Portal that offers free saplings.
- Officials and field staff warn that long‑term watering, protection and maintenance are critical for survival rates, that NDMC has not released survival data, and that final legal notifications and sustained upkeep will determine whether plantings translate into lasting ecological gains.