Yogi govt plans to plant 25 crore saplings this year

Lucknow:  The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh plans to plant 25 crore trees in July this year, creating yet another world record of sorts.

The drive is aimed at increasing the green cover in the state.

The state government had created a record in the Guinness book of World Records last year by planting 22 crore saplings in a day.

The state forest department has made 57,904 micro plans for plantation in over 60,000 gram panchayats and 800 urban local bodies.

Micro plans are the records on plantation sites, number of plants required at every site, people who have demanded saplings, total demand for different tree species and those who would monitor plantations at every site.

The department would plant 10 crore trees and remaining 26 government departments will collectively plant 15 crore saplings in July 2020.

The main trees whose saplings are being prepared include ‘sahjan’ (drumsticks), ‘mahua’, mango, tamarind, wood apple, ‘arjun’, banyan, neem and black plum (jamun).

According to forest officials, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has specifically directed that fruit bearing trees should be preferred for plantation. He has also directed that farmers should be involved in this drive which would create employment for local people as plantation, care, upkeep, security and watering of plants would require extra hands