Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched the Green Drive Portal at the Delhi Secretariat under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, reaffirming the government’s commitment to planting 70 lakh saplings across the national capital.
Launching the initiative, Gupta urged residents to participate in the mass plantation drive and contribute towards building a greener, cleaner and healthier Delhi.
The portal enables citizens to book slots for the Mega Plantation Drive, register as Environmental Saviours, and reserve free saplings from the nearest government nursery.
As part of the initiative, the Forest Department will deploy ‘Vriksh Rath’ teams to facilitate plantation at homes, educational institutions, residential colonies and other suitable locations by providing free saplings, equipment and technical assistance.
The Green Drive Portal offers four key services: plantation slot booking, the Vriksh Rath facility for doorstep delivery of saplings, a nursery locator to identify the nearest government nursery, and Environmental Saviour registration, allowing citizens to enrol as Green Warriors and stay connected with the government’s environmental initiatives throughout the year.
Under the Vriksh Rath facility, individuals, schools, offices, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and housing societies with available space can request the Delhi government to deliver free saplings to their premises.
The plantation drive will focus on native, long-living tree species, including peepal, banyan, gular, neem, arjun and jamun. The Delhi government also plans to develop 100 Oxygen Parks across the city as part of its afforestation initiative.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said plantation sites have been categorised across all 70 Assembly constituencies, enabling citizens to book plantation slots based on their preferred constituency or location. He added that the campaign extends beyond designated plantation sites and encourages residents to undertake plantation at homes, educational institutions and rooftop gardens wherever space is available.
(With IANS inputs)
