He said that the Centre and Delhi government have resolved to develop 6,300 hectares of green Ridge area into forest land over the next four years and give legal protection to it to conserve its biodiversity, soil, water and Delhi’s environment.

Union Minister of Environment Bhupender Yadav and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra were also present at the event. Shah said the Ridge, first notified under the Indian Forest Act in 1994, had remained without a final notification for three decades. “The Delhi government has taken a positive step in this direction and declared 5,000 hectares of this area as forest land,” Shah said, adding that legal protection would help restore the area’s biodiversity, soil and water systems.

“Many poisonous and thorny trees are visible in Delhi’s Ridge area, which create an illusion of a green Delhi when seen, but are not favorable to our environment,” Shah said.

He added, “Within three years, trees that live for more than 100 years such as peepal, banyan, neem, gular, arjun and jamun will be planted across the entire Ridge to turn it into the lungs of a green Delhi.

Meanwhile, the mega plantation programme includes plantation of 20.01 lakh trees, 37.07 lakh shrubs and 92,960 bamboo saplings, along with free distribution of 12.04 lakh saplings to schools, Resident Welfare Associations, institutions and citizens to encourage Jan Bhagidari in environmental conservation, according to officials.

The Delhi government has launched the Green Drive Portal to promote tree plantation by providing free saplings, highlighted an official statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs, adding that “citizens are encouraged to plant trees wherever land is available and contribute to realising the vision of a Green Delhi.”

Shah also laid the foundation stone for the High-Security Prison at Narela, inaugurated the Automated Vehicle Testing Centre, inaugurated three new depots, and flagged off 300 electric buses in Delhi.

He said cow dung from Delhi’s dairies will no longer flow directly into the Yamuna river. Shri Amit Shah said that an agreement will soon be signed with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to ensure that not even one kilogram of dung enters the Yamuna.

He said the previous Delhi government used to dump 1,500 metric tonnes of dung into the Yamuna river every day.

“The previous Delhi government used to dump 1,500 metric tonnes of dung into the Yamuna river every day. Now, under an agreement between the Modi Government and the Delhi Government, this dung will be processed into gas and natural manure, which will make a huge contribution to the purification of the Yamuna river,” he said.