Uttar Pradesh government plants over 5 crores saplings in a day

Uttar Pradesh, normally known for notching up records in crime and violence, is all set to create a record of a different variety this time. The state government has undertaken the gargantuan task of planting a whopping five crore trees in 24 hours, in a bit to create a new Guinness record. The current record for the most trees planted in a day is 8,47,275 which was accomplished in Pakistan in 2013. Officials in UP distributed millions of saplings to be planted across the state to help India's efforts to increase its forest cover besides getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. UP Forest Department officials told dna that students, environmentalists and NGOs had been involved in the huge task, preparations for which had been going on for several months now.

The massive drive started with UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple planting a sapling at Kannauj, from where the latter is an MP, while inaugurating the "Green UP Clean UP" campaign on Monday morning. "Planting millions of trees across UP would spread awareness and enthusiasm about afforestation and environmental conservation," said Akhilesh Yadav, himself a qualified environmental engineer.

"The world has realised that serious efforts are needed to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate the effects of global climate change. Uttar Pradesh has made a good beginning in this regard," Yadav said.

More than 800,000 people, including students, lawmakers, government officials, housewives and volunteers participated in the well orchestrated campaign to plant the saplings at designated spots along country roads and highways, rail tracks and forest lands.

I want to thank all those who made it happen. Over 5 crore saplings planted in record time. CLEAN UP GREEN UP. pic.twitter.com/C1OJUfviL7

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 11, 2016

At the command center to monitor today's world record plantation drive. pic.twitter.com/5dct48isrF

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 11, 2016

The Central government has been encouraging all states to undertake tree-plantation campaigns to increase the country's forest cover as part of commitments made at last year's climate change summit in Paris. The government has allocated massive funding for the purpose across the country, in keeping with its pledge to push India's forest cover to 95 million hectares (235 million acres) by 2030.

However, officials say the long-term survival of trees planted in such mass campaigns remains a matter of concern. Principal Secretary of the UP Forest Department Sanjeev Saran allayaed fears on this count, saying the sites where the trees were being planted would be monitored through aerial photographs taken at regular intervals to check how many of the saplings were thriving.

A senior official admitted that usually, only 60 percent of the saplings survived, while the rest succumbed to disease or lack of water.

Meanwhile, auditors from Guinness World Records were moving around in the state to check on the numbers.

"We are trying to maintain full transparency," Saran said. "They are out in the field and are supervising the plantation drive," he said. "We do not know who they are or where they are at this point in time. They are working incognito, and this suits us."

Last year, UP had entered the Guinness World Records for the largest distribution of saplings by donating more than 10 lakh trees which were planted at 10 locations in the state.