Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on World Environment Day, 5 June 2026, launched a mega plantation drive and dedicated 18 Namo Oxygen Parks to the people of Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav. The Chief Minister also called on all Delhi residents to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign, plant a sapling, and become part of the Green Delhi Mission.

Context

World Environment Day, observed every year on 5 June, is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. In India, the day has become a focal point for large-scale afforestation events coordinated between central and state governments. This year's event in Delhi brought together senior political leadership from both levels of government, signalling alignment on urban greening priorities.

Chief Minister Gupta posted on X, writing: 'Vishwa Paryavaran Divas ke avsar par... Mega Plantation Drive ka shubhaarambh kiya aur 18 Namo Oxygen Park Delhiwasiyon ko samarpit kiye' — 'On the occasion of World Environment Day... launched the Mega Plantation Drive and dedicated 18 Namo Oxygen Parks to the people of Delhi.' She urged citizens to connect with the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, plant a sapling, care for it, and be part of the Green Delhi Mission.

Policy Backdrop

The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign was launched by the Government of India on World Environment Day 2024 to mobilise mass tree plantation across states, with citizens encouraged to plant and nurture a tree as a tribute to their mothers. The campaign has since been integrated with state-level greening efforts, including Delhi's own urban afforestation programmes. Central ministerial participation in state-level events has been a consistent feature of this inter-governmental push.

Namo Oxygen Parks are designated urban green spaces developed in Delhi to improve local air quality and serve as community parks. The dedication of 18 such parks in a single event represents a visible expansion of this initiative. Delhi's air quality has long been a subject of policy concern, and oxygen parks have been positioned as one component of a broader response that includes tree plantation, pollution monitoring, and green cover expansion.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are Delhi's estimated population of over 2 crore residents, who stand to gain from improved air quality and expanded access to green public spaces. Urban residents in densely populated neighbourhoods, where green cover is thin, are expected to benefit most directly from the new oxygen parks. The plantation drive also invites citizen participation, making residents active stakeholders in the city's environmental outcomes.

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav's presence at the event underscored the central government's stake in Delhi's greening agenda, reinforcing the national 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign at the state level. Environmental groups and resident welfare associations in Delhi have consistently advocated for more urban green spaces, and the dedication of new parks is likely to be welcomed across that constituency.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the follow-through: whether the saplings planted during the mega drive are monitored for survival, and how participation in the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign is tracked and reported in Delhi. Survival audits of trees planted in the 18 Namo Oxygen Parks will be a key measure of the initiative's long-term impact. The Green Delhi Mission's progress will also be watched as an indicator of how the city's environmental commitments translate into sustained on-ground action.