UP begins mega plantation drive across state, to plant 35 crore saplings this year

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh government will start a mega three day plantation drive under which 25 crore saplings will be planted across the state. While 10 crore sapling will be planted by August 15.  

The Uttar Pradesh government  has set a target of planting 35 crore saplings this year.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will plant a sapling in Karvi Range in Chitrakoot while governor Anandiben Patel and minister of state for forests KP Malik, will plant a sapling at Kukrail forest in Lucknow.

The other State ministers  and MP will participate in the drive and plant a saplingS in each of the 75 districts.

According to estimate, once they grow up, these trees will be enough to provide oxygen for the people of the state and will also fulfil 80 percetn of UP’s carbon sequestration target till 2030.

The government has divided this year’s plantation drive into four parts beginning July 5, with a special focus upon developing ‘Shakti Vans’ dedicated to women empowerment. Shakti Vans will be established in each of the 75 districts.

On July 5 a total 25-crore saplings will be planted. Another 5 crore plants (2.5 crore on each day) will be planted on July 6 and July 7. On August 15, the state will plant 10 crore more saplings to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav under which 75 saplings will specially be planted in each Gram panchayat.

On june 30,Forest Minister Arun K Saxena had said in a press conference on June 30, announcing the plantation drive.

“A grown-up tree provides 82,420 litres of oxygen while an individual requires 550 litres of oxygen per day. The oxygen generated by these saplings, when they grow big enough, will meet the (oxygen) needs of over 14 crore individuals,” he said.

According to the State of Forest Report 2021, 9.23 per cent of the state’s area has forest cover. In 2013, it was 8.82 per cent. The state government has now set a target to enhance this area to 15 per cent.

The drive will help sequestering nearly 18.55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030. Uttar Pradesh will be planting 175 crore saplings in the next five years.

This will result in sequestration of 72 million tonnes of carbon dioxide thus achieving nearly 80 per cent of UP’s carbon sequestration target aimed till 2030, said B Prabhakar, additional mission director.