Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is being criticized online after saying that trees like “Safeda and Keekar/Babool do not give oxygen.”
Sharing the short clip of her remark, Aam Aadmi Party mocked her and questioned her understanding of air pollution.
Where is the clip from?
The viral clip is from an event held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on 16 January 2026, where Rekha Gupta inaugurated “Innovative Solutions Against Pollution” exhibition.
The full speech is available here:
Her viral remarks begin around the 8:30 mark.
Fact-Check
The claim that “Safeda and Keekar/Babool do not give oxygen” is scientifically false.
Both Safeda (Eucalyptus) and Keekar/Babool (Acacia nilotica) are normal green plants that do photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process by which trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Like most trees, they absorb carbon dioxide, use sunlight and water to make food, and release oxygen as a by-product during the daytime.
There is no category of common green trees that “do not give oxygen.” If a plant has chlorophyll and performs photosynthesis, it releases oxygen.
Both Safeda and Keekar/Babool trees pass this test. So, in other words, they both are oxygen-giver trees.
Understand the whole context before making conclusion
Although the viral clip is genuine, Rekha Gupta’s full statement gives more context to what she appears to be arguing.
Here’s here full statement in Hindi:
जितने पेड़ अभी दिल्ली में हैं, आप कभी रोड साइड पर जाकर देखिएगा, आपको जो पेड़ दिखाई देंगे, वो सफेदे के पेड़ हैं और जो रिज एरिया में भी हैं, वो कीकर, बबूल, इस तरह के जो पेड़ होते हैं, जो ऑक्सीजन giver नहीं हैं। तो उन सभी पेड़ों को, जो दिल्ली को green cover नहीं दे रहे, उनको बदलने की जरूरत है। हमने एक डिटेल स्टडी करवा के इस बात को लागू किया कि अब हम लोग दिल्ली में सघन जंगल बनाने की दिशा में काम करेंगे और इंडीजीनियस जो हमारे trees हैं, चाहे वो आम है, पीपल है, नीम है, इन सब पेड़ों को लगाएंगे, जो actual में ऑक्सीजन देते हैं। तो आज तक तो हम धोखे में ही जी रहे थे। आज हमें छांव देने वाले, फल देने वाले, ऑक्सीजन देने वाले प्लांट्स, पौधे, पेड़ हैं ही नहीं। तो उन सब पर काम करने की जरूरत है।
In English:
Currently in Delhi, most roadside trees are eucalyptus trees. And in the ridge areas there are keekar and babool trees, which are not oxygen givers. So those trees, which are not giving proper green cover to Delhi, need to be replaced. We conducted a detailed study and decided that now we will work towards creating dense forests in Delhi. We will plant indigenous trees like mango, peepal, and neem, which actually give oxygen. Till now, we were living under a misconception. Today, we do not even have enough trees that provide shade, fruits, and oxygen. We need to work on that.
In the broader context, Rekha Gupta appears to be arguing that the city should focus more on dense forests by planting native trees such as neem, peepal, and mango because they give more “green cover” or shade.
While making this point, she mixed it with scientifically incorrect claims about oxygen production of trees.
As you can see, immediately after saying that “Safeda is not an oxygen giver,” she talks about green cover:
“तो उन सभी पेड़ों को, जो दिल्ली को green cover नहीं दे रहे, उनको बदलने की जरूरत है।”
(“So all those trees, which are not giving Delhi proper green cover, need to be replaced.”)
She then goes on to say that, in order to create “dense forests” in Delhi, the government will plant indigenous trees such as mango, peepal, and neem.
After this, she again inaccurately states: “[Mango, Peepal, and Neem] are the kinds of trees that actually give oxygen.”
These trees do produce oxygen, but so do eucalyptus and babool. The implication that only these native trees “actually” give oxygen is scientifically false.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Safeda and Keekar/Babool “do not give oxygen” is false. Both trees produce oxygen through photosynthesis like other green plants.
Rekha Gupta appears to be discussing a plantation strategy aimed at increasing Delhi’s green cover by replacing certain plantation species, such as Safeda and Keekar/Babool, with more native trees like Mango, Peepal, and Neem. However, while advocating for native species, she also made scientifically incorrect claims about oxygen production.
Title: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta: “Trees like Safeda and Keekar/Babool Do Not Give Oxygen”
Fact Check By: Mayur Deokar
Result: Misleading
