Civic body plans monsoon drive to boost green cover in Lutyens’ Delhi

New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) unveiled its comprehensive plantation programme for 2025-26 on Tuesday. The initiative, which will be implemented from the second week of July, seeks to plant over 2,000 trees along with five lakh shrubs and exotic plants.
The council has identified suitable locations for additional plantations following a comprehensive survey of Lutyens' Delhi. The selected sites include prominent locations such as Akbar Road, Shankar Road, Sardar Patel Marg, etc. Landmark green spaces, including Nehru Park, Lodhi Garden, Sanjay Jheel and Talkatora Garden, will also be part of the campaign.
NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal said the programme was inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly city. "In total, 2,039 trees and approximately 4.82 lakh shrubs will be planted across NDMC's jurisdiction. The activities are scheduled to begin with the arrival of the monsoon," he added.
Last year, NDMC targeted planting 1,800 trees along with shrubs. However, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam surpassed the target considerably. "It was quite a success as NDMC planted 11,096 trees and 13,68,148 shrubs in 2024. The 2025 targets were determined after an extensive survey to identify areas in the need of increased greenery or gap plantation. The upcoming drive will cover prominent roads, gardens and colony parks in Lutyens' Delhi," said Chahal.
Ten species of trees have been earmarked this year, including imli, jamun, pipal, bargad, champa, bamboo, neem and ashoka. Likewise, ten types of ornamental and native shrubs have also been selected to enhance landscape diversity and beauty, including chandni, hemalia, calendula, tikona and maurya.
NDMC currently maintains 1,450 acres of green spaces. These include six major parks—Central Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Nehru Park and Sanjay Jheel—along with 122 colony parks, six nurseries, 981 CPWD-maintained parks, 52 school greens, 51 roundabouts, 14 market gardens, and approximately 15,000 avenue trees. While NDMC accounts for just 3% of Delhi's total land area, it contributes an impressive 64.5% to the city's total green cover, underscoring its commitment to urban ecological development.
"Special attention will also be given to the beautification and rejuvenation of green strips along key roads such as Madhu Limaye Marg, Satya Marg, San Martin Marg, Simon Bolivar Marg, Mandir Marg, Niti Marg and C-Hexagon. Gaps and brown patches in these areas will be filled with suitable plantations to improve visual and ecological quality during the monsoon," said Chahal.
New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) unveiled its comprehensive plantation programme for 2025-26 on Tuesday. The initiative, which will be implemented from the second week of July, seeks to plant over 2,000 trees along with five lakh shrubs and exotic plants.
The council has identified suitable locations for additional plantations following a comprehensive survey of Lutyens' Delhi. The selected sites include prominent locations such as Akbar Road, Shankar Road, Sardar Patel Marg, etc. Landmark green spaces, including Nehru Park, Lodhi Garden, Sanjay Jheel and Talkatora Garden, will also be part of the campaign.
NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal said the programme was inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly city. "In total, 2,039 trees and approximately 4.82 lakh shrubs will be planted across NDMC's jurisdiction. The activities are scheduled to begin with the arrival of the monsoon," he added.
Last year, NDMC targeted planting 1,800 trees along with shrubs. However, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam surpassed the target considerably. "It was quite a success as NDMC planted 11,096 trees and 13,68,148 shrubs in 2024. The 2025 targets were determined after an extensive survey to identify areas in the need of increased greenery or gap plantation. The upcoming drive will cover prominent roads, gardens and colony parks in Lutyens' Delhi," said Chahal.
Ten species of trees have been earmarked this year, including imli, jamun, pipal, bargad, champa, bamboo, neem and ashoka. Likewise, ten types of ornamental and native shrubs have also been selected to enhance landscape diversity and beauty, including chandni, hemalia, calendula, tikona and maurya.
NDMC currently maintains 1,450 acres of green spaces. These include six major parks—Central Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Nehru Park and Sanjay Jheel—along with 122 colony parks, six nurseries, 981 CPWD-maintained parks, 52 school greens, 51 roundabouts, 14 market gardens, and approximately 15,000 avenue trees. While NDMC accounts for just 3% of Delhi's total land area, it contributes an impressive 64.5% to the city's total green cover, underscoring its commitment to urban ecological development.
"Special attention will also be given to the beautification and rejuvenation of green strips along key roads such as Madhu Limaye Marg, Satya Marg, San Martin Marg, Simon Bolivar Marg, Mandir Marg, Niti Marg and C-Hexagon. Gaps and brown patches in these areas will be filled with suitable plantations to improve visual and ecological quality during the monsoon," said Chahal.