Modi launches initiatives to shape cleaner, greener future for Delhi

DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off electric buses in the national capital and planted a sapling at Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park on Thursday as part of a broader mission to build a 'clean and green Delhi' and rejuvenate the Aravali mountain range.
Mr. Modi was accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena, both of whom reiterated their commitment to sustainable urban development and environmental conservation on World Environment Day.
'Flagged off electric buses under an initiative of the Delhi government aimed at boosting sustainable development and clean urban mobility. Additionally, this will improve ease of living for the people of Delhi,' Mr. Modi posted on X.
The Prime Minister said the special planting initiative under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign was part of the government's efforts to reforest the Aravali range under the Aravalli Green Wall Project.
'Will address concerns'
Highlighting that the Aravali range — one of the planet's oldest ranges that spans Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi — faces pressing environmental challenges, he said the government was committed to addressing them.
'Our focus is to rejuvenate areas linked with this range. We are going to work with the respective local administrations and going to emphasise things such as improving water systems, curbing dust storms, stopping eastward expansion of the Thar desert and more,' the Prime Minister said.
'In the Aravali range and beyond, in addition to the traditional planting methods, we will encourage new techniques, especially in urban and semi-urban areas where there are space constraints. Plantation activities will be geo-tagged and monitored on the Meri LiFE portal,' Mr. Modi said.
At a separate event at Bharat Mandapam, Ms. Gupta called for a complete shift from plastic use in daily life. 'We need to free our lifestyle from plastic use. We have included plastic in our everyday life and now the situation is such that even our blood has plastic particles, which have become the cause of cancer and other diseases,' she said.
2.10 cr. saplings planted
Mr.Saxena said over 2.10 crore saplings have been planted across the Capital by various agencies. He said that 30 wetlands and water bodies are being developed along the Yamuna floodplains, where seven lakh saplings have already been planted as part of ecological restoration efforts.
He termed the government's dust mitigation plan a key step in combating air pollution. On clearing of landfill sites, he said 75 lakh metric tonnes of waste were already processed. The waste segregation machines rose from 12 to 75, raising daily capacity from 7,000 to 25,000 tonnes, he said.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hans India

30 minutes ago

• Hans India

Naval personnel take part in IDY-2025

Visakhapatnam: As the sun rose over the horizon, naval personnel and families of the Sunrise Command, along with the citizens of Andhra Pradesh, came together to perform yoga asanas along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Visakhapatnam hosted the 11th edition of International Yoga Day, the main national event, garnering a participation of over 3 lakh people. The naval personnel and their families took part in the IYD celebrations as the Prime Minister led the massive event by participating in the common yoga protocol at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam. Offshore, warships swayed gently, while sailors in calm focus performed yoga on their decks, reflecting the navy's commitment towards 'yoga for one earth, one health.'

United News of India

34 minutes ago

• United News of India

PM Modi leads India and the world in IDY celebration

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) The celebration of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Saturday witnessed an overwhelming global participation, from India's borders and remote villages to bustling cities and embassies abroad. The day was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who performed yoga at the iconic Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, addressing a massive gathering of over one lakh yoga enthusiasts. Modi highlighted that yoga is not merely an exercise but a holistic way of life, transcending boundaries, backgrounds, age, and abilities. He further emphasised the unifying power of yoga, noting that it has now been embraced by 175 countries, marking the global acceptance of his proposal for IDY in 2015. Joining the Prime Minister at the venue were Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Konidela Pawan Kalyan, underlining the yoga's cultural significance. To mark the day, President Droupadi Murmu took part in a yoga camp held at the Police Line in Dehradun, highlighting India's pivotal role in promoting yoga on the world stage. In fact, throughout the country, the spirit of unity was palpable as ministers, government officials, organisations both from public and private sectors and people from all walks of life participated. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led celebrations at Parliament, while Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took part in a session with 2,500 soldiers in Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir. He praised yoga for its role in enhancing mental clarity, discipline, and control — critical qualities for the armed forces. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel celebrated the day respectively at Prahladnagar Garden in Ahmedabad city and Vadnagar town of Mehsana district, the birthplace of the Prime Minister, while at Kartavya Path in the national capital, Union Health Minister and BJP president JP Nadda led the mass yoga demonstration, emphasising yoga's global significance in ensuring balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Nadda's colleagues in the Ministry, Prataprao Jadhav and Anupriya Singh Patel, called yoga as an invaluable gift from India that connects the body, mind, and soul for holistic well-being. In states like Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Madhya Pradesh, officials and citizens embraced yoga with a deep sense of belonging and peace. J&K LG Manoj Sinha participated in the 11th International Yoga Day in line with the Common Yoga Protocol, while Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang led a session in Gangtok, promoting wellness in the northeastern region. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, attended the event at Modhera Sun Temple, Mehsana while senior officials at the Geological Survey of India (GSI) preferred to choose its iconic geo-heritage sites such as Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh and Mangampeta Barytes Deposit in Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, celebrated the day near the riverfront at Maa Samaleswari Temple Complex, Sambalpur, Odisha with officials, dignitaries and residents of Sambalpur joining him at the session. Similarly, over nine lakh cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) participated in synchronised yoga sessions at iconic locations across the country from Leh in the North to Kanyakumari in the South and from Dwarka in the West to Tezu in the East at iconic spots, as well as in public parks, schools, and colleges across the country, according to the government statement. The enthusiasm wasn't limited to India. Indian embassies worldwide hosted grand events, from Tokyo, where Yoshiko Ishiba, the spouse of Japan's Prime Minister, joined in, to New York's Times Square, where hundreds took part in a vibrant yoga session. Washington, DC also marked the occasion with a large turnout at the Lincoln Memorial, demonstrating yoga's universal appeal. In their posts on X, Indian embassies in Qatar, Nepal and Kuwait among many others also highlighted celebration of the D Day by organizing the events in their respective countries. UNI TEAM PRS

India Today

35 minutes ago

• India Today

Exclusive: Chandrababu Naidu backs PM Modi's Yoga message, calls for global peace

In an exclusive interaction with India Today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu endorsed Prime Minister Modi's message on Yoga, saying it can bring peace to the world by reducing violence. He noted that people in Visakhapatnam are increasingly incorporating yoga into their daily lives. On the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, Naidu stressed that war is not the solution and emphasised the need for dialogue and peace.