UP targets 30 crore saplings in this year’s plantation drive

Last year on July 6, chief minister Yogi Adityanath oversaw the planting of 26.75 crore saplings of 201 types in a single day under Mission Vriksharopan 2020 and the Van Mahotsav campaign.

The Uttar Pradesh government aims to plant 30 crore saplings in this year’s plantation drive beginning the first week of July and has asked district magistrates (DMs) to identify land and supply saplings for the purpose to the district forest officers (DFOs) by June 15, said a senior government official.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath seen planting a sapling during the inauguration of a plantation drive across the state last year.

UP chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari directed the officials in a virtual meeting on Monday to immediately convene the meetings of plantation committees and ensure that the target is met. He also directed DMs and commissioners to hold weekly and fortnightly meetings respectively to review preparations and progress.

Tiwari told officials to ensure saplings were also planted at cow shelters across the state and requested them to issue a detailed plantation guideline for maintaining consistency in the drive.

Another virtual meeting will be held with DMs next Monday to review the preparations for the drive.

Last year on July 6, chief minister Yogi Adityanath oversaw the planting of 26.75 crore saplings of 201 types in a single day under Mission Vriksharopan 2020 and the Van Mahotsav campaign. The saplings were planted outside 30 lakh houses built under the PM Awas Yojana and another 1.50 crore saplings along rivers. The CM then claimed that of the 22 crore saplings planted and geo-tagged in the state in 2019, 95% had survived. The government claims to have planted 5 crore, 11 crore and 22 crore saplings in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.