New Delhi: Welcoming the Delhi government's plan to expand the city's green cover, Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav has suggested dedicating a part of the plantation to medicinal forests for also supporting the Ayush sector.
The minister, in a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, praised the proposed plantation of over 70 lakh indigenous and climate-resilient trees, development of more than 70 water bodies and notification of nearly 6,000 hectares as forest area, calling it a significant step towards improving Delhi's ecological security and air quality.
Jadhav said the initiative could become a model for integrating urban afforestation with India's traditional systems of medicine and sustainable environmental management.
Jadhav also welcomed the proposal to replace invasive species such as Vilayati Kikar and Babool with indigenous trees like Peepal, Banyan, Neem, Arjun and Jamun, saying it would help transform the Delhi Ridge into the "lungs of Delhi", a statement by the Ayush ministry said.
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He suggested that at least 20 per cent of the plantation in the proposed eight forests comprise medicinal plant species or, alternatively, that two of the forests be developed as dedicated "Aushadhi Vans" (medicinal forests), it said.
The minister said such forests would provide sustainable raw material for the Ayush sector, promote biodiversity conservation, aid ecological restoration and encourage eco-tourism.
Jadhav also shared an indicative list of medicinal species suitable for Delhi's agro-climatic conditions, including Ashwagandha, Giloy, Tulsi, Brahmi, Shatavari, Amla, Arjun, Ashok, Neem, Bel and Jamun, according to the statement.
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