From heatwaves to green waves: U.P plans mega plantation drive

By, Lucknow
Published on: Jun 14, 2025 08:04 am IST

Uttar Pradesh to plant 35-core sapling this July, a whooping jump of 600% from 5-crore sapling planted in 2016

Braving the scorching sun under a searing 41.9°C with 70% humidity on Friday, forester Noor Alam diligently watered rows of young saplings at the overcrowded Sheeshambagh nursery.

The Sheeshambagh nursery in Lucknow, which is one of 1,901 nurseries across Uttar Pradesh (Deepak Gupta/HT)
The Sheeshambagh nursery in Lucknow, which is one of 1,901 nurseries across Uttar Pradesh (Deepak Gupta/HT)

“We currently have 2.25 lakh saplings here—twice the nursery’s capacity. The same is true across other nurseries, as these saplings will be transported to plantation sites over the next ten days,” said Alam.

Sheeshambagh is just one of 1,901 nurseries across Uttar Pradesh brimming with greenery, as the state gears up for a massive plantation drive this July: 35 crore saplings are set to be planted—a staggering 600% increase from the 5 crore planted in 2016. The state’s commitment to greening took off in 2015, when it made headlines by planting 10 lakh saplings in just eight hours. Since then, annual numbers have steadily climbed, with a notable leap in 2018 when 11.77 crore saplings were planted.

This year’s plantation drive, which is slated to take place during the plantation week starting from July 1 to July 7, reflects changes made over the past years in process and technology, and the growth in the number of saplings planted has also impacted the environment.

“Plantation has had a major impact on the state’s ecology. Sustained growth in the number of saplings has not only increased green cover, but other indicators too have gone up,” said Deepak Kumar, the state’s nodal officer for plantation.

“UP is ready for its annual plantation drive. Nurseries and the transportation of saplings are all planned,” said Arun K Saxena, forest, environment and climate change minister, UP.

Across the state, there are over 2 lakh plantation sites where a total of over 35 crore saplings will be planted.

According to the state of forest report by the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, the carbon stock in forests in India went up by 1.13 percent between 2021 and 2023. In UP, this rise was 2.46 percent, said Kumar, sharing statistics of green growth in the state.

While India has 3.41 percent of its geographical area covered with Tree Outside Forest (ToF)—an indicator that reflects the extent of tree cover on lands not officially classified as forest—UP’s ToF ratio is 3.72 percent, despite 70% of its people depending on agriculture for a living and the state having high biotic and cattle pressure.

The Forest Department will provide 47.27 crore plants, including 14.71 crore old saplings and 32.54 crore new ones, while private nurseries will provide 3.17 crore saplings, the horticulture department 1.55 crore saplings, and the silk department 33 lakh saplings.

According to shared statistics, a total of 18.60 crore saplings of teak, sheesham, etc., along with 10.79 crore fruit-bearing saplings, including guava and mango, will be planted, along with 5.75 crore medicinal saplings of drumstick, neem, and others, and 29 lakh environmental saplings of peepal and banyan. Targets are set for all 18 divisions, with Lucknow planting a maximum of 4 crore saplings and the Kanpur division having a target of 3.13 crore. The number of saplings from each nursery is listed with the command centre.

This year, the forest department has planned to plant at least 1,600 saplings per hectare of land. “The soil work is either in final stages or nearing completion at all locations,” said Kumar.

“Our teams have visited the locations where plantation is to be done and checked for soil work as well,” said Sitanshu Pandey, divisional forest officer (Awadh range). Lucknow division has a target of planting 4 crore saplings.

The state’s green cover, according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report 2021, is recorded at 9.23% or 55.59 lakh acres of the total land area of UP, which increased from 8.93% or 53.61 lakh acres in the FSI report released in 2015, a year after assessment was done in 2014. To achieve the target of 15% green cover in the state, UP needs to add another 34.35 lakh acres to its existing chunk of green cover, taking the total green cover to over 90 lakh acres.

“The department is focused on making the plantation drive a success, and according to need, more staff shall be deployed to plant and save saplings that are planted,” said Sunil Chaudhary, head of forest force, UP.

How plantation will be done

Saplings will arrive at least a day before the mega plantation day, which typically takes place during the first week of July. The shifting of saplings will start on June 28 so that the farthest plantation site also receives saplings at least a day before the plantation day.

At the start of the plantation day, around 6 a.m., Forest and other department staff, along with volunteers, will get active. The aim is to plant the first sapling around 6 a.m. across all plantation sites.

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