Delhi LG T.S. Sandhu to lead DDA plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge on July 31
Synopsis
Delhi LG T.S. Sandhu is taking his environmental agenda off paper and onto the ground — leading a public plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge on 31 July, just days after DDA concluded three Yamuna Dialogues workshops that will feed into a landmark Delhi Yamuna Compact, due for deliberation in September.
Key Takeaways
Sandhu will lead a DDA plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge on 31 July 2025 .
Citizens have been invited to participate by the DDA Vice Chairman .
Three Yamuna Dialogues stakeholder workshops were concluded on 25 July 2025 , covering six themes including floodplain planning, water quality, and sustainable financing.
Recommendations will be compiled into the Zero Draft of the Delhi Yamuna Compact for stakeholder review.
The draft will be deliberated at the Yamuna Dialogues summit on 11 September 2025 at Baansera, New Delhi .
Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu will lead the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)'s mega plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge, near Delhi University, on 31 July 2025. The event is open to citizens, with the DDA Vice Chairman formally extending an invitation for public participation in large numbers.
About the Plantation Drive
The drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge — one of Delhi's critical green lungs — is part of a broader push by the LG's office and the DDA to strengthen urban ecology in the capital. The ridge, situated adjacent to Delhi University in north Delhi, has historically served as a natural buffer against air pollution and urban heat.
Yamuna Dialogues: Stakeholder Consultations Conclude
The plantation drive follows the conclusion of three Stakeholder Consultation Workshops under the Yamuna Dialogues initiative, held on 25 July 2025. Organised under the guidance of Lieutenant Governor Sandhu, the workshops brought together policymakers, government agencies, environmental experts, financial institutions, scientists, urban planners, landscape architects, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.
Collectively, the consultations examined six interrelated themes: Floodplain-Responsive Planning, Ghat Development, Nature-Based Solutions, Water Quality and Drainage, Sustainable Financing Models, and Governance Mechanisms. Drawing on national and international best practices, participants explored approaches tailored to the unique ecological character of the Yamuna floodplains.
Key Takeaway: Collaboration Is Central
A central finding across all three workshops was that no single institution or intervention can achieve lasting transformation of the Yamuna. Participants stressed that organisations, experts, communities, and citizens must work together through coordinated, long-term action. The deliberations have helped shape a holistic framework recognising ecological restoration, environmental monitoring, sustainable financing, effective governance, and community stewardship as complementary pillars.
Zero Draft of Delhi Yamuna Compact
Recommendations from the consultations will be consolidated into the Zero Draft of the Delhi Yamuna Compact, which will be circulated among stakeholders for further comments and refinement. The draft will subsequently be deliberated upon at the Yamuna Dialogues summit scheduled for 11 September 2025 at Baansera, New Delhi.
The consultation series was preceded by personal visits by Lieutenant Governor Sandhu to the Yamuna floodplains, followed by review meetings with senior DDA officials, during which he issued directions for tackling river pollution through a multi-dimensional approach. The upcoming plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge signals that the LG's environmental agenda is moving from planning to on-ground action.
Point of View
The risk is that this becomes another well-documented exercise that does not translate into measurable water quality improvement. The inclusion of financial institutions and sustainable financing models in the workshops is, however, a notable shift — signalling that this iteration at least acknowledges the funding gap that has historically derailed such initiatives.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when is the DDA plantation drive being held?
The DDA plantation drive is scheduled for 31 July 2025 at Kamla Nehru Ridge , near Delhi University in north Delhi. It will be led by Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu .
What are the Yamuna Dialogues and what did the workshops cover?
The Yamuna Dialogues is a DDA initiative, under the guidance of LG T.S. Sandhu, to develop a shared vision for the Yamuna floodplains. Three stakeholder consultation workshops held on 25 July 2025 examined six themes: Floodplain-Responsive Planning, Ghat Development, Nature-Based Solutions, Water Quality and Drainage, Sustainable Financing Models, and Governance Mechanisms.
What is the Delhi Yamuna Compact?
The Delhi Yamuna Compact is a proposed framework document that will consolidate recommendations from the stakeholder workshops. A Zero Draft will be circulated among stakeholders before being deliberated at the Yamuna Dialogues summit on 11 September 2025 at Baansera, New Delhi.
Who participated in the Yamuna Dialogues workshops?
The workshops brought together policymakers, government agencies, environmental experts, financial institutions, scientists, urban planners, landscape architects, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to deliberate on ecological, planning, institutional, and financial dimensions of Yamuna floodplain restoration.
Can citizens join the plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge?
Yes. The DDA Vice Chairman has extended a public invitation for citizens to join the plantation drive at Kamla Nehru Ridge on 31 July 2025 in large numbers.
