Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday launched a mega tree plantation drive at Chitragupt Park in Sector 14, Rohini, urging citizens to turn the initiative into a people’s movement. He stressed that caring for saplings was as important as planting them.
Details of the Plantation Drive
The plantation drive was organised by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in collaboration with Sampoorna and Bharatiyam Trust. Around 500 indigenous jamun saplings were planted as part of efforts to expand Delhi’s green cover through native species.
Gupta’s Call for Commitment
Addressing residents, volunteers and environmentalists, Gupta said, “Tree plantation is not merely an event, it is a commitment to future generations. The true success of a plantation drive lies not in the number of trees planted, but in the number that survive and flourish.”
He underlined that long-term care of saplings should remain a priority, adding, “There is a significant difference between planting a tree and ensuring that it grows into a healthy tree. Our responsibility does not end with plantation; it begins with it.”
Rohini’s Green Transformation
Gupta noted that Rohini had emerged as one of Delhi’s greenest localities due to sustained public participation. He encouraged residents to organise plantation drives in neighbourhood parks and promote indigenous species such as neem and jamun, which are better suited to Delhi’s ecosystem.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Gupta said the initiative encourages citizens to plant and nurture a tree in honour of their mothers, linking environmental conservation with emotional and cultural values.
Sharing his recent experience from Ladakh, Gupta said the region’s limited greenery reinforced the importance of protecting and expanding green spaces in cities like Delhi. He recalled that when he was first elected from Rohini in 1997, the township had very little tree cover despite being a planned area. Continuous plantation efforts over the years, he said, have transformed Rohini into one of the Capital’s greener neighbourhoods, although mature trees now require scientific pruning and proper management.
