UP govt to create tree plantation world record yet again

The Uttar Pradesh government plans break last year's record of tree plantation with its plans to plant 25 crore trees this monsoon. The state government had entered the Guinness book of World Records last year by planting 22 crore saplings in a single day.

The forest department is preparing saplings of sahjan (drumstick), mahua, mango, tamarind, wood apple, arjun, banyan, neem and black plum (jamun). Forest officials say that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked to give preference to fruit trees.

The state forest department has drawn up 57,904 micro plans for plantation in over 60,000 gram panchayats and 800 urban local bodies. Micro plans are the records of plantation sites, number of plants required at every site, people who have demanded saplings, demand for different tree species and people who would monitor plantations.

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

The Chief Minister has directed that farmers should be involved in the drive which will help create employment for local people as plantation, care, upkeep, security and watering of plants would require extra hands.

In last year's drive, the forest department officials had been asked to identify trees which were over 100 years old to give them heritage status. The idea was to take up their conservation with the involvement of local people..