Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday, June 21, 2026 — the 12th International Yoga Day — planted saplings at the Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Delhi under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign, formally announcing the launch of a city-wide plantation drive beginning the following day.

Context

Posting on X, CM Gupta announced that the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: Delhi Mega Vriksharopan Abhiyan 2026' (Delhi Mega Tree Plantation Campaign 2026) would begin on June 22, 2026. She called on citizens to become #GreenWarrior and join the people's movement, saying the campaign aims to contribute to building a 'green, healthy and developed Delhi.' Cabinet colleague Manjinder Singh Sirsa was also present at the plantation event at the sanctuary.

The event combined two national themes — environmental action and wellness — by situating the plantation drive on International Yoga Day, an annual observance held every June 21.

Policy Backdrop

The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign was originally launched by the central government on International Yoga Day 2024, encouraging citizens across India to plant trees in honour of their mothers. The Delhi campaign announced by CM Gupta extends that national initiative into a city-scale mobilisation effort for 2026.

Delhi governments have repeatedly organised large-scale plantation drives to address the capital's chronic urban pollution and low green cover. Anchoring such efforts to a high-visibility national observance like International Yoga Day creates a recurring, media-friendly platform for public participation.

Stakeholders and Impact

The campaign is framed as a janbhagidari (public participation) effort, positioning Delhi residents as active contributors rather than passive beneficiaries. Environmental groups and resident welfare associations in the capital are among the natural stakeholders who typically engage with such drives.

The Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected green belt on the southern edge of Delhi bordering Haryana, has historically served as a site for official plantation events given its ecological significance and available land. The choice of venue signals the administration's intent to reinforce existing protected green zones.

What's Next

The Delhi Mega Tree Plantation Campaign 2026 is set to roll out from June 22, 2026, with the administration expected to mobilise schools, resident associations and volunteers across the capital. The credibility of the drive will ultimately be measured by sapling survival rates and the scale of verified citizen participation in the weeks following the launch.

With urban air quality remaining a persistent concern for Delhi, the campaign's outcomes — particularly the number of saplings planted and their long-term survival — will be closely watched by environmental advocates and opposition politicians alike.