As part of the ‘Van Mahotsav campaign’, over 25 crore saplings were planted in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, July 5, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
‘I am happy that we have achieved our goal of planting 25 crore saplings in one day. We have planted over 25.75 crore saplings in the state today,’ Adityanath told ANI.
On Sunday, the CM inaugurated ‘Mission Vriksharopan-2020’ in Kukarel forest in Lucknow. Under this programme, UP had set a target of planting 25 crore saplings in the state. Last year, a target of 22 crore saplings was fixed, following which, each plant was geotagged to ensure its safety. Of this, 95 per cent have survived, said the CM.
‘Today, the chief minister started the Mission Vriksharopan 2020 under the Van Mahotsav (campaign). He planted harishankari plants (banyan, pipal and Ficus infectoria). These saplings were planted together at Kukrail (in Lucknow) on Sunday morning,’ Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said at the daily press briefing on Sunday.
With the help of extensive public participation and interdepartmental coordination, medicinal, fruit yielding, environmental, shady, fodder, and other essential plants of over 201 species were planted in a day in the state.
The saplings were planted outside 30 lakh houses built under the PM Awas Yojana and along rivers. The government had earlier requested each person to plant at least one tree and take care of it.
As the state continues to grapple with COVID-19, the event followed all social distancing norms and children and elderly were kept away from the programme.
‘Amid coronavirus crisis, social distancing was followed, it was tried that children and elderly were kept away from the programme. The different departments of the state government, social workers, and environmental awareness organizations contributed to making the record of planting 26 crore sapling in the state,’ the CM said.
He further thanked everyone, including the forest department team, that has been working for the past year to achieve the target.
‘On the areas in the banks of rivers Ganga and Gomti, the planting of saplings have been done. We will try to achieve 35 crore planting of saplings in the future,’ the CM added.
Along with geotagging, the plantation drive also focusses upon prevention of malnutrition, biodiversity conservation and plantation along the banks of Ganga and tributaries.
Also Read: Odisha To Plant 13 Crore Saplings Over 1.30 Lakh Hectares In Bid To Increase Green Cover
