Amit Shah Says Centre Will Take Legal Route to Protect Central Ridge

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the government will take the legal route to protect the biodiversity, soil and water of the Central Ridge here.

Shah, after inaugurating the mega plantation drive here, said trees such as Jamun, Mango, Arjun and Neem, that survive for 100 years, will be planted at the Ridge.

The mega plantation drive targets the plantation of 70 lakh saplings in the city.

He said that the Delhi government will provide green cover to 6,300 hectares of Ridge area through the plantation of one crore local tree species, 23 lakh big tree species and 65 lakh shrubs and medicinal plants in the next four years.

Shah also cited a "grand masterplan" to convert the Ridge into a "Green Ridge", which will have 100 water bodies, restaurants, as well as small gardens like "Nakshatra Van", "Tirthankar Van", "Vanan Van" to achieve the target of a green and pollution-free Delhi.

He said legal protection will be used to ensure conservation of biodiversity, soil and water of the Ridge.

The Union home minister also flagged off 300 e-buses, and digitally laid the foundation stone of a high-security prison in Narela, inaugurated three bus depots and an automated vehicle testing station in Nand Nangri.

He also announced that in the next week, an agreement will be signed with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to ensure that not even one kg of cow dung from dairies in Delhi will be washed down to the Yamuna River.

He also highlighted that 129 sewage treatment plants (STPs) are operational and 29 others are in the pipeline for cleaning of the Yamuna.