NDMC ropes in 30,000 schoolchildren, kicks off mega green drive in 51 schools

Apart from planting ornamental, herbal, shrubs, 28,000 indigenous trees like sheesham, peepal, neem tress, the council also plans to plant fruit trees like mango and jamun during the drive.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) roped in schoolchildren and kicked off its mega plantation drive on Saturday.

NDMC Chairperson Naresh Kumar during a plantation drive at Navyug School, Lodhi Colony in New Delhi, India, on Saturday. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

As part of the programme, which will continue for the next 4-5 weeks, nearly 30,000 students of 51 NDMC schools planted saplings on their school premises and surrounding areas like parks, garden, along road sides and service lanes. The council officials say each student has to plant at least one sapling.

When asked why trees are important, four-year-old Kashish, a kindergarten student of NP school in Lodhi Colony, said, “Fruit and vegetables dete hain. (They give us fruits and vegetables).”

NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar pointed out how a green drive can’t be a success unless it is a people’s movement.

“Not only NDMC as a civic agency, every stakeholder has to be a part of it. Be it little children, youngsters, their parents and senior citizens. All residents, market associations, ministers and MPs, expats of the different embassies and people working in the many offices in the council area have to take part in the drive. The idea is to systematically engage each and every stakeholder,” Kumar said.

According to him, the push this year is to make NDMC truly a green city and make the 48% green cover to 50%.

The council — which looks after the Capital’s high-profile neighbourhoods housing the power elite, embassies, top markets and fancy restaurants — plans to conduct weekly drives in big gardens, sides of wide roads, local parks and government offices and quarters.

“We are focusing on improving the quality of the greenery, especially on both sides of the big roads. There is also a stress on local varieties, which will flourish in the city’s climate and soil with minimal water. We are also stressing on maintenance and mechanisation. We had sent our horticulture staff to Belgium, China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore to get international exposure,” the NDMC chairman said.

Apart from planting ornamental, herbal, shrubs, 28,000 indigenous trees like sheesham, peepal, neem tress, the council also plans to plant fruit trees like mango and jamun during the drive.