Delhi sets target of planting over 70 lakh saplings under Green Action Plan 2026-27

The Delhi government has set a revised target of planting over 70 lakh trees, shrubs and bamboo hedges across the city under its Green Action Plan (GAP) 2026-27, with 22 departments and agencies assigned plantation goals, officials said on Wednesday.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the revised targets reflect the government’s push to increase the capital’s green cover and strengthen efforts to combat pollution.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife has been designated as the nodal agency for monitoring the plantation drive and tracking progress through the GAP portal, officials added.

“Our government is deploying a multi-pronged strategy not just to control pollution but to exponentially increase Delhi’s green cover. Last year, we achieved massive plantations with participation from students, citizens, bureaucrats, politicians, hon’ble judges, dignitaries, ambassadors of 70+ countries, and advocates, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ campaign for a greener India,” Sirsa said.

He added that the government remains committed to protecting air and building lasting green infrastructure.

According to official figures, the total plantation target for 2026-27 has been revised to 70,05,386 saplings, including trees, shrubs and bamboo hedges.

Among the major agencies, the Department of Forests and Wildlife has been assigned a target of over 27 lakh saplings, followed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) with 10 lakh trees, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) with 3 lakh and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) with 5.05 lakh.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has been assigned a target of 3 lakh trees, while the Education Department (Schools) has been asked to plant 3.5 lakh.

Other agencies include Higher Education with over 25,000, Technical Education with 41,000, NTPC with 70,000, NHAI with 60,000, BSES Rajdhani with 47,411, and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department with 35,000 saplings.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been assigned 20,600, DSIIDC over 20,965, Northern Railways 23,000, Delhi Cantonment over 15,000, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) 6,000, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) 2,500, DTC 2,000, and the Department of Environment 1,000 saplings.

“Additionally, over 12 lakh plants to be distributed free to Forest Department, DPGS and DMRC making the grand total of around 70,05,386 plants,” officials said.

Departments have been asked to regularly upload their plantation progress on the GAP portal to ensure transparency and monitoring, officials added.

Sirsa said the government would focus not only on plantation but also on ensuring the survival of saplings through regular monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

He also said the plantation drive would align with the Centre’s broader push for environmental sustainability and green development in urban areas.

Sirsa also posted on his social media account on X, informing that a meeting was held with the officials of the environment department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

“In the meeting, a detailed review of the ongoing works by the department was conducted, and while discussing the progress, necessary directions and instructions were given to the concerned officials,” Sirsa wrote in his post on Wednesday.

The minister added that such meetings are organised to ensure proper implementation of schemes running on the ground.