Delhi's Green Lung to Get Native Species, Medicinal Forests Under Review

The Delhi government’s plan to safeguard the Ridge ecosystem has drawn praise from Ayush Minister Prataprav Jadhav, who wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta proposing the inclusion of medicinal trees in the massive greening drive. The plan aims to plant more than seven million climate‑resilient trees, develop over seventy water bodies and declare around six thousand hectares as forest land.

Jadhav highlighted the ecological benefits of replacing non‑native species like wilayati kikar and babool with locally adapted trees such as peepal, bargad, neem, arjun and jamun. He emphasized that the Ridge, often called Delhi’s "lungs", could become a healthier urban space if a portion of the new forests is dedicated to medicinal plants.

The minister’s letter recommends that at least 20% of the vegetation in each of the eight proposed forests consist of herbs like ashwagandha, giloy, tulsi, brahmi, shatavari, amla, arjun, ashoka, neem, bael and jamun. Failing that, he suggested establishing two specific herbal forest zones. According to Jadhav, these medicinal forests would serve as a sustainable source of raw material for the Ayush sector, protect biodiversity, strengthen ecological restoration and foster eco‑tourism in the capital region.