GB Nagar forest dept plants over 500 saplings at Surajpur Wetland as part of ‘Van Mahotsav’

Around 500 saplings of various species, including fruits such as orange, sweet lime and guava, were planted and people were also sensitised about environment conservation and planting more trees

The Gautam Budh Nagar forest department on Wednesday celebrated ‘Van Mahotsav’, a pan-India plantation drive held in the first week of July every year, and planted more than 500 saplings of various species at the Surajpur wetland in Greater Noida.

To mark the festival, around 150 people, including CISF personnel, ITBP personnel, school children, senior IFS officers, chief conservator of forests NK Janu, and local residents participated in planting sapling at the Surajpur wetland on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Forest department officials said more than 150 people came together to participate in the plantation drive, which is titled “Ek ped maa ke naam (A tree in the name of your mother)” this year, at Surajpur wetland.

Officials said the week-long festival, from July 1 to 7, is celebrated with an aim to save the environment by planting more trees. Under the initiative, government bodies, NGOs and volunteers are urged to take part in the tree planation drive and sensitise people about the importance of trees.

Pramod Kumar Srivastava, divisional forest officer (DFO), Gautam Budh Nagar, said the week is celebrated by participating in afforestation drives through which people are made to understand the importance of forests and the grave danger that vanishing forest covers can pose.

“To mark the festival, around 150 people, including CISF personnel, ITBP personnel, school children, senior IFS officers, chief conservator of forests NK Janu, and local residents participated in planting sapling at the Surajpur wetland on Wednesday,” said the DFO.

“Around 500 saplings of various species, including fruits such as orange, sweet lime and guava, were planted and people were also sensitised about environment conservation and planting more trees,” said Srivastava.

Notably, the festival was started by the then Union Minister of Agriculture and Food, KM Munshi in 1950, with an aim to motivate people towards forest conservation and to save earth.

The state government has decided to plant 350 million saplings across Uttar Pradesh this year, as a measure towards expanding the green cover in the state.