CISF replicates Dhanbad green experiment on Yamuna floodplain

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has begun a forest-reclamation experiment on six acres along the Yamuna in Delhi, replicating a successful project from Dhanbad's coal belt. About 100 CISF personnel planted 1,000 fruit-bearing and medicinal trees and one lakh slips of vetiver grass at Ganga Vihar near Sarai Kale Khan. The Delhi Development Authority is the land-owning agency for the initiative.

The original experiment in Dhanbad transformed a barren hillock left by coal mining into forested land. The Ministry of Coal reported that coal and lignite public-sector companies planted over 235 lakh saplings across 10,784 hectares between FY2019-20 and FY2023-24. The Delhi Forest Department has already planted 5,04,536 plants across 641.964 hectares of the Yamuna floodplains as part of ongoing restoration efforts.

Vetiver grass, known for its dense root system, is used to control erosion and slow surface water runoff. The project's success depends on whether the plants survive and mature in Delhi's riverbank conditions. The government's Green Action Plan for Delhi includes wetland creation, native vegetation for bank stabilisation, and soil-moisture conservation measures.