World Environment Day: 18 Namo Oxygen Parks inaugurated in Delhi to strengthen urban greening, 15 lakh trees to be planted in the city this year

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, along with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, inaugurated eighteen Namo Oxygen Parks across the national capital today. The event, held at the Namo Oxygen Park in Maidangarhi, coincided with World Environment Day on 5th June and marked the launch of several major green initiatives under the nationwide campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.⁠

The inauguration of the eighteen Namo Oxygen Parks aims to create urban green lungs that will improve air quality, enhance biodiversity, and offer recreational spaces for residents. Yadav stressed the importance of community involvement for the long-term success of these initiatives and called for integrated conservation of woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands to build ecological resilience.

Addressing the gathering, Bhupender Yadav highlighted the three critical environmental challenges facing humanity: climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation leading to desertification. He underscored India’s emergence as a global leader in environmental action under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Minister pointed to key achievements such as significant additions in solar capacity, the implementation of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, the establishment of the International Solar Alliance, the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance, the expansion of Ramsar wetland sites, and the early achievement of several Nationally Determined Contribution targets.

⁠Minister Yadav emphasised that environmental conservation demands collective action and active public participation. He described the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign as a transformative people’s movement that instils gratitude, responsibility, and environmental consciousness. He urged citizens not only to plant trees but also to nurture and protect them for future generations.

The Minister noted ongoing efforts by the Delhi Government, in coordination with the Commission for Air Quality Management, to tackle major pollution sources including road dust, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution through measures such as Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems, Air Pollution Control Devices, mechanised road cleaning, and the shift to electric mobility.

On the occasion, three significant environmental publications prepared by the Government of NCT of Delhi were released. These include the Working Plan Document for the National Capital Territory of Delhi covering 2026–27 to 2036–37, which provides a ten-year framework for environmental governance and sustainable development; the Management Plan for Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary for 2024–25 to 2034–35, outlining strategies for the protection and restoration of this vital biodiversity reserve; and the Delhi Bird Atlas, a comprehensive citizen science-based compilation of data on the city’s avifauna.

Bhupender Yadav stated that these documents would strengthen scientific environmental governance in the capital amid rapid urban growth.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the Delhi Government has set an ambitious target of planting 15 lakh trees across the city this year. She described increasing green cover as one of the most effective measures to improve air quality and stressed the critical role of public participation in both plantation drives and the subsequent nurturing of trees.

The dignitaries participated in a sapling plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign and reviewed an exhibition on local varieties of grasses and bushes as part of the ‘Dust-free Delhi’ initiative. Civil society organisations that contributed to the Delhi Bird Atlas were also honoured with certificates of recognition, acknowledging the vital role of citizen science in environmental monitoring.

Other prominent attendees included Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, and Delhi’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife, Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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