430 students join plantation drive at Asola Bhatti on Conservation Day
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Over 430 students and teachers from five Delhi schools participated in a plantation drive at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on 29 July 2025, marking World Nature Conservation Day. The event, backed by the Delhi Government, forms part of a year-long campaign to plant 70 lakh trees and saplings across the Capital.
What the Drive Involved
Participants planted saplings across the sanctuary grounds, with each sapling geo-tagged for scientific monitoring and long-term survival tracking. Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the initiative combines ecological goals with youth-led environmental awareness.
'They are ambassadors of environmental conservation and inspire their families and communities to actively contribute towards making Delhi a clean, green and world-class metropolis,' Sirsa said.
Scale and Strategy
The 70 lakh tree target is underpinned by a 10-year plantation strategy that prioritises native species — chosen for their greater shade, higher oxygen output, lower water requirements, and pollution-reduction capacity. A geo-tagging system ensures accountability at the sapling level, tracking survival rates across the campaign's duration.
Sirsa noted that the campaign has evolved into a broad-based public movement, drawing participation from members of the judiciary, government officials, diplomats from over 70 countries, religious organisations, and citizens across social strata.
National Inspiration
The Delhi initiative is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationwide campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', which frames tree planting as both an environmental responsibility and a tribute to mothers. The Delhi drive mirrors that framing by positioning young students as catalysts for community-level conservation action.
What Comes Next
With the plantation season ongoing, the Delhi Government is expected to scale participation further across educational institutions and resident welfare associations. The geo-tagging data will feed into the 10-year strategy's monitoring framework, with survival rates to be assessed at periodic intervals.