In News:

The Government of India has launched the ‘Matri Van’ initiative in Gurugram under the ‘Ek Ped MaaKe Naam’ programme, symbolizing ecological preservation and community participation. The project was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, and the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Shri Manohar Lal, during Van Mahotsav 2025.

About the Initiative

• Location & Scale: Spread over 750 acres in the Aravalli hill area along the Gurugram-Faridabad road.
• Concept: A theme-based urban forest aimed at nurturing generations through mother-nature-inspired green efforts.
• Vision: To enhance biodiversity, public well-being, and urban sustainability, while serving as the “heart and lung of Delhi-NCR.”
• Collaboration: Developed through multi-stakeholder participation, including CSR partners, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), NGOs, MNCs, school children, and government bodies.

Ecological and Social Significance

• Restoration of degraded land by removing invasive Kabuli Kikar (Prosopis juliflora).
• Plantation of native Aravalli species such as Dhak, Amaltash, Neem, Bargad, Peepal, Gullar, Pilkhan, Khair, Semal, and bamboo.
• Development of theme-based groves, including:
  • Bodhi Vatika (sacred fig species like Bargad, Peepal),
  • Bamboosetum (bamboo species),
  • Aravalli Arboretum,
  • PushpVatika (flowering trees),
  • Sugandh Vatika (fragrant species),
  • Medicinal Plants Vatika,
  • Nakshatra and RashiVatika,
  • Cactus Garden,
  • Butterfly Garden.

Facilities and Infrastructure

• Eco-tourism and community spaces: nature trails, cycle tracks, yoga zones, gazebos, and sitting areas.
• Environmental safeguards: treated water irrigation systems, sprinklers, and waterbodies to aid water conservation and urban flood prevention.
• Urban amenities: parking spaces, public facilities, and accessibility features.

Broader Environmental Vision

• Linked to Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) with components like:
  • Saving food, water, and energy,
  • Solid waste and e-waste management,
  • Ban on single-use plastics,
  • Promotion of healthy lifestyles.
• Complements India’s renewable energy transition, with non-fossil fuel power now accounting for over 50% of the national energy mix.
• Supports Prime Minister’s vision of rejuvenating the Aravalli ecosystem through plantation of native species.

Significance for Delhi-NCR

• Acts as a natural carbon sink to counter rising emissions.
• Provides a green lung to improve air quality in a highly polluted urban region.
• Promotes eco-tourism and environmental education through biodiversity parks, wildlife safaris, and thematic groves.
• Offers citizens a serene, stress-free environment, strengthening the image of Gurugram as a model “Millennium City.”