New Delhi, August 22 (TNA) The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is expanding its Vetiver plantation initiative as part of its sustained commitment to environmental protection, soil conservation, and climate resilience. Aligning with the Prime Minister’s motto of “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam,” Director General, CISF, Praveer Ranjan, along with senior officers of the Force, led the plantation drive at Yamuna River Bank, Ganga Vihar (near Sarai Kale Khan), New Delhi, on 21 August.
For this ecological initiative, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) permitted approximately six acres of land at the Yamuna riverfront, while the Delhi Van Vibhag provided 1,000 tree saplings. These trees—including Semul, Karanj, Amla, Jungle Jalebi, Arjun, Kachnar, and Moringa—were planted alongside one lakh Vetiver slips. Intercropping Vetiver with tree saplings aids faster and healthier tree growth, creating a highly effective green barrier. With this drive, the CISF continues its massive green momentum, having planted over 40 lakh trees nationwide since the beginning of regular tree plantation drives.
Vetiver, commonly known as Khus, is a native perennial grass with deep root networks extending 3–5 metres, significantly improving soil shear strength by up to 40% to combat erosion and stabilise vulnerable floodplains. Beyond soil conservation and its capacity to absorb heavy metals and pollutants, Vetiver is well known for its natural cooling and medicinal properties.
The Yamuna Bank plantation is particularly significant for Delhi, as Vetiver plantation along the Yamuna riverbank can help check soil erosion, strengthen vulnerable stretches and support ecological restoration. Its application along riverbanks is also relevant to wider efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable areas from erosion and environmental degradation.
Building on successful eco-restoration projects—such as the transformation of an overburden dump at BCCL, Dhanbad-the CISF aims to utilise its field experience with Vetiver across other parts of India.
Under the CISF Vetiver Plantation Initiative 2026, approximately 15–20 lakh Vetiver slips, including nursery development, are being planted across various CISF formations. Five lakh slips received from Samar Shail Farms, Purnia, are being distributed among Yamuna Bank, 8th Reserve Battalion Jaipur, SSG Noida, 5th Reserve Battalion Ghaziabad and RTC Deoli, Tonk. Further plantations and nurseries are being developed in Samba, Kishtwar, Idukki and other locations, with plans to scale up deployment along riverbanks and landslide-affected areas.