E-Paper
U.P. to plant 5 cr saplings on I-Day
The state had set the target of planting total 35 crore saplings this year of which 30 crore were planted on July 22
Uttar Pradesh government will plant 5 crore saplings on Independence Day, taking its annual plantation count ahead from July 22 when 30,21,51,570 saplings were planted on a single day.
“The saplings have already reached the place where they are to be planted,” said SK Sharma, principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest force Uttar Pradesh.
The plantation drive will be conducted at about 5,000 spots that were used previously on July 22 when over 30 crore plantation target was achieved. The soil work has been done and with saplings in place, the 5 crore saplings will be planted hopefully by afternoon, said a senior official of the forest department.
“It’s a chance to connect with nature. People can plant saplings in the name of their parents/elderly and children should plant a sapling and give it needed care and water till it grows big enough to give oxygen,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, member, state council for senior citizens.
The state had set the target of planting total 35 crore saplings this year of which 30 crore were planted on July 22, including 27,29,538 in Lucknow.
A total of 136.98 crore saplings were planted in the state between 2017-18 and 2022-23. This includes 49.88 crore saplings planted by the forest department and 82.10 crore saplings by other departments in state. According to the report of Forest Survey of India, there has been an increase in forest cover and tree cover in UP.
While there has been a total increase of 417 square kilometres (0.18 percent) in forest cover, an increase of 377 square kilometres (0.16 percent) has been recorded in tree cover so far. The total green area of the state has increased by 794 square kilometres with a total increase of 9.23 percent, according to the forest department.
