Naam’ campaign that aims at increasing the green cover and enriching the ecology.

Dhankhar planted a sapling in the honour of his mother Kesari Devi at the Asita, an ecological park developed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the eastern floodplains of Yamuna opposite ITO.

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Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of the VP, also planted a sapling in the honour of her mother, Bhagvati Devi at Asita.

Simultaneously, a total of 1,11,111 trees were planted on Saturday in various parks and green belts of Delhi by the DDA by students, RWAs, common residents and officials.

The VP interacted with over 250 school children, who had assembled at Asita for the plantation drive, and administered them a pledge that they would also urge their family members to plant trees for a greener and sustainable Delhi. The school children also planted saplings at Asita Park with great enthusiasm.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhankhar has appealed for making the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign a huge success and said tree plantation was the easiest, yet the most effective way of protecting our environment.

The VP said that as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has also urged every MP to plant at least 200 trees, as their contribution to protect nature.

Notably, on the World Environment Day this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, with an aim to increase the green cover and protect the environment.

Dhankhar, who also went for bird-watching and took a ride of the Asita Park along its wetlands and the grasslands, appreciated the DDA for painstakingly and scientifically restoring this stretch of the Yamuna floodplain into a bio-diversity park, which was just two years ago, lying as a polluted and degraded land under heavy encroachment.

During the nature walk, he was explained at length the scientific process of ecological succession used by DDA for restoration of Yamuna Flood Plains at Asita and several other locations in Delhi.

Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Justice Prakash Shrivastava were also present. They also planted saplings in the honour of their mothers.