India, July 2 -- Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday launched the Green Drive Portal, a digital platform aimed at encouraging public participation in tree plantation under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, and said the initiative should become a people's movement. The portal, greendrive.delhivanmahotsav.in, developed by the Delhi government's Department of Environment, Forest and Wildlife, allows residents to book plantation slots, request free saplings, locate government nurseries and register as "Green Warriors" to participate in environmental conservation activities. Addressing the launch programme, Gupta said the initiative is not merely a government programme but a campaign that belongs to every resident of the national capital. Also Read - Delhi court reserves verdict in wrestlers' sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan She urged every family to plant a tree under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign and nurture it, saying every sapling planted would contribute to a greener and cleaner Delhi. The chief minister said the government's objective is not only to plant trees but also to revive Delhi's natural ecosystem and build a cleaner, greener and healthier city for future generations. She said the Ridge Forest Restoration Programme would be formally launched later this month by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. According to a statement, the programme aims to plant 70 lakh saplings across Delhi and will adopt a scientific approach to restore the Ridge by creating a three-tier forest structure using native, long-living species such as peepal, banyan, gular, neem, arjun and jamun to strengthen biodiversity, carbon sequestration and soil conservation. The government also announced that 300 new electric buses would be flagged off as part of the programme and new inter-state routes will also be launched. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the Green Drive Portal had identified plantation sites across all 70 Assembly constituencies, allowing citizens to book plantation slots at locations and times of their choice.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.