Delhi: 7,000 bamboo plants, rooftop gardening in 2025 civic greening plan

NDMC on Sunday held a special tree plantation at Sardar Patel Marg under the nationwide initiative Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have launched their annual greening drive in which they will plant more than 7,000 bamboo plants and 3.9 million shrubs across the city. NDMC’s drive this year also focuses on promoting rooftop gardening and adding more than 4,000 hanging flower baskets across Lutyens Delhi, officials said.

LG VK Saxena and chief minister Rekha Gupta at a bamboo plantation drive at Okhla landfill site on June 6. (PTI)

MCD standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma on Sunday said that a target of planting 703,298 saplings has been set for the year, which includes 300,000 trees, 400,000 shrubs, and 3,298 bamboo plants.

“Plantation has momentum during the monsoon season and will continue in a phased manner throughout the year,” she added.

Sharma said that 66,242 saplings have already been planted across the 12 zones of Delhi. These include 21,493 trees, 41,918 shrubs, and 2,831 bamboo plants.

NDMC on Sunday held a special tree plantation at Sardar Patel Marg under the nationwide initiative Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign under which lieutenant governor VK Saxena planted an amaltas (Cassia fistula) sapling .

The civic body has set plantation targets of adding 3,000 trees, 3.5 million shrubs, and 3,946 bamboo plants. “Bamboo plantations are a new addition to the greening drive and it will be used to fill the area between the plot boundaries and footpath,” she added. The bamboo plants will be planted at four selected locations—Akbar Road, Subramanium Bharti Marg, Krishna Menon Marg, and Mandir Marg. Two bamboo species, Golden and Budha Valley, will be planted along boundary walls to act as natural green screens and enhance biodiversity.

Chahal said that this year’s greening plan will promote rooftop gardening in the New Delhi area. “A campaign will soon be launched to promote rooftop and organic gardening, encouraging citizens to contribute to New Delhi’s green footprint from their homes. Our project to sell tulips was hugely successful and we will rope in experts to promote rooftop gardening by providing resources and training,” he said.

The council also set up a “Plant Protection Cell” at Lodhi Garden which is equipped to conduct tree surgeries, termite and pest control, and soil treatments, supported by a dedicated team of one supervisor and four staff members.