Green Blueprint: Delhi-NCR States Tasked with Eco-Revitalization

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has directed Delhi and NCR states to develop a community-driven greening strategy to enhance ecological security and air quality. The plan includes micro plans for future plantations with community involvement and funding strategies. State collaboration is emphasized to address various ecological challenges.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called on Delhi and NCR states to formulate a community-driven greening strategy, emphasizing the need to bolster ecological security and air quality. He highlighted the necessity of detailed five-year micro plans, focusing on plantations and involving communities and varied funding channels.

In a high-pressure meeting with forest conservators from Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, Yadav stressed the importance of covering both rural and urban regions through comprehensive mapping of forests, protected areas, and urban spaces. The minister also highlighted the need for the active participation of eco-clubs and natural history museums.

States were urged to undertake spatial analyses to determine suitable planting sites, involve applicable court directions in planning, and foster departmental cooperation. Yadav insisted on devising a collective five-year greening plan for NCR, integrating state efforts for better air quality management, and ensuring data utilization related to degraded lands.

(With inputs from agencies.)