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Business Standard
08-07-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Mission Green: UP to plant record 37 crore saplings in one-day green push
Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for a record-breaking green mission this Wednesday — and it's bigger than ever. In an ambitious statewide drive, the state plans to plant a staggering 37 crore saplings in a single day, surpassing last year's tally by 2 crore. From dense forests to urban pockets, all 75 districts will come alive with millions of hands digging, planting, and greening the earth — making this one of the largest afforestation efforts in the world. In preparation for the mega plantation drive, the forest department has already finished soil work at nearly 9,000 sites a week in advance. Meanwhile, around 26 other departments are wrapping up groundwork across more than 1.5 lakh locations. In Lucknow alone, 78 spots have been earmarked for the plantation effort. According to forest officials, a one-hectare plot will typically have 1600 seedlings planted. To commemorate the event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will plant seedlings at Ayodhya and Azamgarh. Starting at 6 a.m., the massive plantation drive will go on until the end of the day. UP govt 'state's green cover' The mega plantation drive's mission director, Deepak Kumar, said that volunteers, forest and other department employees will plant seedlings in pits and quickly fill the surrounding soil to ensure the saplings remain sturdy. The officer stated, 'The soil work has been done at plantation locations. Also, saplings have reached the plantation locations.' Arun Kumar Saxena, U.P.'s forest, environment and climate change minister, on Monday, stated, 'This year, we have raised the target by two crore saplings. This is because the increase in plantations in previous years gave rise to the green cover by over 3 lakh acres. Our green cover is now at 9.96% of the total geographical area, and Uttar Pradesh is ranked second among states where the forest and tree cover has gone up, as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2023'. UP govt 'state's green cover': Insights Over 204.92 crore saplings were planted throughout the state between 2017 and 2024. 1.14 crore saplings will be planted by the forest department alongside roadsides. Along the state and Bundelkhand expressways, the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority will plant 250,000 trees, totalling 1.2 lakh. According to the ISFR-2021 report, the forest cover of U.P. increased by 118.43 sq km to 15,045.80 sq km (6.24%) from 14,927.37 sq km (6.20%). In the 2021 report, the state's tree cover was 8,510.16 sq km (3.53%); however, in the 2023 report, it was 8,950.92 sq km (3.72%). 60,182 public representatives, 3.4 crore students, 2.24 crore farmers, 13, 44,558 government workers, 4,69,900 advocates, 27,270 non-profit organisations, and 15,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will be among the participants. There are 146 nurseries and 44 lakh saplings in the horticulture department, and 1901 nurseries and 47.27 crore saplings in the forest department. Among other things, there are 3.17 crore saplings and 484 private nurseries. UP govt 'state's green cover': Riverbanks saplings Along the Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Ken, and Betwa, the forest department plans to plant over 3.5 crore seedlings. In order to improve green cover, reduce pollution, preserve soil, and encourage groundwater recharge, the initiative will cover a 5-kilometre area on either side of these rivers. Planting trees along riverbanks will be essential to lowering soil erosion and guaranteeing more fluid river flow. The comprehensive plan from the forest department states that 23,772.45 hectares will be covered in total. With 9,678,330 saplings, the Yamuna River will have the most, followed by the Ganga with 5,480,994 and the Betwa with 5,061,251. Along the Saryu/Ghaghara, Gomti, Sai, Ken, Rapti, Son, Ramganga, Chhoti Gandak, Chambal, and Hindon rivers, extensive crops are also planned. About Heritage Tree Adoption Scheme Under the Heritage Tree Adoption Scheme, 948 century-old trees have been preserved and cared for throughout Uttar Pradesh. The ecological, cultural, and historical significance of these heritage trees, which represent 28 species and are dispersed throughout all 75 districts, has been acknowledged. Prayagraj (53), Hardoi (37), Ghazipur (35), and Unnao (34), in order of the number of heritage trees, are Varanasi (99). In addition to rare trees like Adansonia and Pilu, the list features venerated species like the Banyan (363 trees), Peepal (422 trees), Mango, Arjun, Shami, and Neem. How to join in & upload your plantation pic? The public can also participate in the mission. After planting a sapling, simply: Visit or this portal Enable GPS to geotag the location Upload your photo as proof of participation This digital log will help monitor and celebrate the mass movement.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Mission Green: Uttar Pradesh aims to plant 37 crore saplings in a day on July 9
Uttar Pradesh will push its limits on Wednesday by planting 37 crore (370 million) saplings in a single day, two crore more than in 2024, across all 75 districts of the state. Forest and other departmental staff, besides volunteers, will place saplings in pits and swiftly fill the soil around the pits to make the saplings stand firm, an officer explained. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE) The forest department alone completed advanced soil work at about 9000 locations a week before the drive. About 26 other departments are in the final stages of completing the work at an estimated over 1.5 lakh sites. Lucknow has 78 plantation sites. Forest officials said on average, 1600 saplings will be planted in a one hectare area. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will plant saplings in Ayodhya and Azamgarh to mark the occasion. The mega plantation drive will begin at 6am and continue till the end of the day. 'The soil work has been done at plantation locations. Also saplings have reached the plantation locations,' said Deepak Kumar, mission director for the mega plantation drive. Forest and other department staff, besides volunteers, will place saplings in pits and swiftly fill the soil around the pits to make the saplings stand firm, the officer explained. Placed in biodegradable packs, the saplings need to be put inside the pits and have the roots covered with soil. 'This year, we have raised the target by two crore saplings. This is because the increase in plantation in previous years gave rise to the green cover by over 3 lakh acres. Our green cover is now at 9.96% of the total geographical area and Uttar Pradesh is ranked second among states where the forest and tree cover has gone up, as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2023,' said Arun Kumar Saxena, U.P's forest, environment and climate change minister, on Monday. Between 2017 and 2024, more than 204.92 crore saplings were planted across the state. U.P's forest cover reached 15,045.80 sq km (6.24%), an increase of 118.43 sq km from 14,927.37 sq km (6.20%) recorded in ISFR-2021 report. The tree cover of the state was recorded at 8,950.92 sq km (3.72%) in the 2023 report while it was at 8,510.16 sq km (3.53%) in the 2021 report. The participants will include 60,182 public representatives, 3.4 crore students, 2.24 crore farmers, 13,44,558 government employees, 4,69,900 advocates, 27,270 voluntary organizations and 15,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The forest department has 1901 nurseries and 47.27 crore saplings, the horticulture department has 146 nurseries and 44 lakh saplings. There are 484 private nurseries and 3.17 crore saplings available among others. The forest department will plant 1.14 crore saplings along roadsides. The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority will plant 250,000 saplings along state expressways and Bundelkhand Expressway (1.2 lakh saplings). Ministers to plant saplings across state Ministers will lead the campaign across all 75 districts while senior administrative officers have been designated as district nodal officers for the mega plantation drive. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will lead the plantation drives in Ayodhya and Azamgarh, accompanied by forest minister (Independent Charge) Dr Arun Saxena and minister of state for forests KP Malik. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak will plant saplings in Lucknow. Governor Anandiben Patel will participate in the campaign from Barabanki. Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya will be in Meerut. Cabinet ministers, ministers of state (Independent Charge), and ministers of state will lead the initiative across all 75 districts. Key assignments include cabinet ministers Suresh Khanna in Shahjahanpur, Surya Pratap Shahi in Ayodhya, Swatantra Dev Singh in Gorakhpur, Baby Rani Maurya in Aligarh, Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan in Mathura, Jaiveer Singh in Mainpuri, Dharampal Singh in Bareilly, Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi' in Prayagraj, Anil Rajbhar in Azamgarh, Rakesh Sachan in Kanpur Dehat, AK Sharma in Jaunpur, Yogendra Upadhyay in Agra, Ashish Patel in Mirzapur, Dr Sanjay Nishad in Ambedkar Nagar, Om Prakash Rajbhar in Ghazipur, Dara Singh Chauhan in Deoria, Sunil Kumar Sharma in Ghaziabad, and Anil Kumar in Bijnor. Among ministers of state (independent charge) Kapil Dev Agarwal will be in Muzaffarnagar, Ravindra Jaiswal in Varanasi, Sandeep Singh in Etah, Gulab Devi in Sambhal, Girish Yadav in Pratapgarh, Dharamveer Prajapati in Jhansi, Asim Arun in Kannauj, J.P.S. Rathore in Moradabad, Dayashankar Singh in Ballia, Narendra Kashyap in Hapur, Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli, and Dayashankar Mishra 'Dayalu' in Chandauli. 3.5 crore saplings along riverbanks The forest department aims to plant around 3.5 crore saplings along major rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Ken and Betwa. The campaign will span a 5-km stretch on either side of these rivers and is intended to enhance green cover, control pollution, conserve soil, and promote groundwater recharge. According to the forest department's detailed plan, a total of 23,772.45 hectares will be covered. The Yamuna river will see the highest number of saplings planted—9,678,330—followed by the Ganga with 5,480,994 saplings and the Betwa with 5,061,251. Large-scale plantations are also planned along the Saryu/Ghaghara, Gomti, Sai, Ken, Rapti, Son, Ramganga, Chhoti Gandak, Chambal, and Hindon rivers. Tree plantation along riverbanks will play a crucial role in reducing soil erosion and ensuring smoother river flow. Heritage trees Uttar Pradesh has protected and nurtured 948 century-old trees under the Heritage Tree Adoption Scheme. These heritage trees, spanning 28 species and spread across all 75 districts, have been recognised for their ecological, cultural and historical significance. Varanasi leads with 99 heritage trees, followed by Prayagraj (53), Hardoi (37), Ghazipur (35), and Unnao (34). The list includes revered species like the Banyan (363 trees), Peepal (422 trees), Mango, Arjun, Shami, and Neem, as well as rare trees such as Adansonia and Pilu. Some iconic trees include the mother trees of Dussehri mango (Lucknow) and Langra mango (Varanasi), the famous Bachan Tamarind of Fatehpur, the Bodhi tree of Sarnath, Peepal associated with the freedom struggle at Shahjahanpur's Ordnance Cloth Factory, Akshayvat tree inside Prayagraj Fort, Pilu tree in Ter Kadamba (Mathura), and Banyan trees in Gorakhnath temple (Gorakhpur), Janaki Kund (Chitrakoot), and Valmiki Ashram (Unnao). 38.71 lakh saplings to be planted in Lucknow Divisional forest officer (Awadh range) Sitanshu Pandey said that the state capital has 78 plantation sites where 38.71-lakh saplings will be planted on July 9. The department has deployed 300 staff apart from the volunteers from various segments. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak will plant sapling at one of the locations during the day. How to upload your photograph While the forest and other departments will plant saplings and upload photographs, even common people can do the same. People can upload plantation photos on or or by scanning the QR code. To geo-tag the images, participants must enable GPS on their mobile phones. These images will serve as a digital record of people's participation.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Prove that Forest Rights Act is responsible for ‘negative' change to forest cover, Tribal Affairs Ministry tells Environment Ministry
A little over six months after the India State of Forest Report (2023) was released, which attributed 'negative' change in forest and tree cover to the implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA) among other factors, the Tribal Affairs Ministry has asked the Environment Ministry to provide evidence for this claim. The Tribal Affairs Ministry, which is the nodal Ministry for the implementation of FRA, further said that making such claims without 'adequate scientific evidence' may reinforce stereotypes among State, District, and Forest administrations 'that could undermine the rights vested under the Act, as well as the effectiveness of the implementation'. The Ministry has requested a 'detailed scientific analysis' for the claim 'with valid instances through ground truthing as the report mentions'. A senior government official told The Hindu, 'The ISFR is meant to be a very detailed and scientific study of forests. If such claims are made, the purpose is to find out what evidence supports it. That is why this communication has been issued.' After letter from activists The Ministry of Tribal Affairs' communication, dated July 2, comes days after over 150 forest rights and civil society groups wrote to the Union government, taking issue with the ISFR's attribution of 'negative' change in forest cover partly to the implementation of FRA. They had also pointed out that this claim had been repeated by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in a media interview in June this year. Former Environment Minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who had amplified the civil society groups' letter, shared the Tribal Affairs Ministry's communication on social media on Saturday (July 5, 2025) as well. The Tribal Affairs Ministry, in its communication, said that the FRA 'does not deal with regularisation of encroachments'. 'Instead, it acknowledges pre-existing rights that are already being exercised by eligible individuals and communities dwelling in forest areas. Beyond securing the tenure of the existing forest dwellers, FRA does not create any new rights that could potentially affect the ecological balance within protected areas,' it said. In the communication, which has been marked to the Environment Ministry's Secretary, the Tribal Affairs Ministry's FRA Division has also referred to the media interview that was flagged by the civil society groups. It noted that the ISFR 2023, in the chapter on Change in Forest and Tree Cover, has two sections — one on 'positive' changes and another on 'negative' changes. In the report, under the possible reasons for 'negative' changes, the Environment Ministry lists 'titles given to beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act (2006)' as one of them. According to a review of the last five ISFRs published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) in the last decade, this is the first time, titles under FRA have been included in this list explicitly. The point on FRA as one of the reasons for 'negative' change to forest cover was reiterated by Mr. Yadav in an email interview with a daily newspaper. Notably, the Environment Ministry had denied allegations made against it by the civil society groups in a detailed statement posted on social media on Thursday (July 3, 2025). The statement had come after Mr. Ramesh had posted the civil society groups' letter on social media. In the statement, the Environment Ministry had claimed that the Minister's interview remarks were taken out of context. It had gone on to assert that that ISFR 2023 had recorded a 'substantial increase in forest and tree cover', which it said was 'suggestive' of community involvement in forest management. 'The inference drawn is contrary to the factual position and totally devoid of merit,' it had said. However, in the interview of Mr. Yadav, he was quoted as saying: 'Although there is a net increase in dense forests in the country, there are areas where the dense prime forests have been affected with degradation.' Mr. Yadav, in the interview, goes on to list possible reasons for this, including 'titles given under Forest Rights Act (2006)'.
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Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Environment ministry rejects FRA subversion charge, says facts twisted
The Environment Ministry has strongly rejected allegations by forest rights groups that it is attempting to "subvert" the Forest Rights Act (FRA), calling them a "gross misunderstanding of facts" and asserting that it remains committed to both environmental protection and the welfare of forest-dependent communities. In a recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 90 forest rights organisations had accused the ministry of trying to undermine the FRA and demanded that Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav clarify his reported statement that the "FRA leads to forest degradation". The groups said the minister's remarks, published in a newspaper article on June 5, were "false, misleading, legally untenable and an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the FRA". Responding to the criticism, the ministry said in a statement: "The reference in social media to a letter alleging 'Subversion of the Forest Rights Act' reflects a gross misunderstanding of facts. MOEFCC remains committed to protecting forests, India's green cover and communities dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas." It said that Yadav's statement as quoted in social media has been "grossly misrepresented, distorted, represented in a piecemeal manner and is totally out of context". According to the ministry, the minister's comment referred to findings in the latest India State of Forest Report which showed a net increase in the country's forest cover, though some areas did experience degradation due to various reasons. It said this degradation could be addressed through protection measures involving local communities. "The context of the statement about increase in forest cover and halting of the degradation of forest through active involvement of the local community has been totally undermined, overlooked and misrepresented," it said. The ministry also pointed to the government's recent initiatives to work closely with tribal communities, citing direct interactions by the environment minister with the Tharu tribal community in Uttar Pradesh's Dudhwa region and the Soliga tribals in Karnataka. "These efforts ensured their active involvement in management of tiger habitats and surrounding forest areas, both of which elicited a very good response," it said. On the issue of encroachment, the ministry said it relies on data provided by state governments and Union Territories. "The status of forest encroachments remains dynamic The allegations being made that MoEFCC submits legally untenable data on encroachment in different forums is totally incorrect, unfounded and does not hold any merit." Refuting the criticism about relocation of villages from tiger reserves, the ministry said: "The point quoted about the relocation of villages from core areas of tiger reserves is devoid of merit and misrepresentation of facts. The voluntary relocation of villages is a key strategy in India's wildlife conservation efforts." It added that such relocation is conducted by state governments and governed by both the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the FRA, 2006. The ministry also defended the recent amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, now renamed Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, saying the changes were passed following constitutional and parliamentary procedures. "The allegation that Van (Sansarkhan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam has been amended, subverting the legitimacy of institutional authorities has been made without an in-depth knowledge and understanding of its various provisions," the ministry said. It pointed to Rule 11(7) of the new rules, which mandates that rights under the FRA must be settled before any forest land is diverted. The forest rights groups had also alleged that the ministry and forest bureaucracy had "stiffly resisted and disrupted" the implementation of the FRA for 16 years and that amendments to forest laws had ignored the concerns of constitutional bodies and local communities. The ministry, however, said it has been making "unprecedented attempts" to both expand India's green cover and ensure the sustainability of forest-based livelihoods. "In the interest of India's fight for a greener future, it is imperative individuals desist from deliberate misinformation and selective quoting of issues," it said.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Centre on the defensive over Congress's accusations of ‘subverting' Forest Act
Hours after former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh accused the Ministry of 'subverting' the implementation of the Forest Rights Act under the Narendra Modi-led government, the Union Environment Ministry issued a statement, saying that such references 'reflect a gross misunderstanding of facts,' adding that it remains 'committed to protecting forests, India's green cover, and communities dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas.' 'In the interest of India's fight for a greener future, it is imperative individuals desist from deliberate misinformation and selective quoting of issues. MOEFCC has been making unprecedented attempts to not just increase the country's green cover but also ensure sustainability for dependent communities,' it said. 150 civil society groups and activists have recently written to the Prime Minister on the systematic and consistent manner in which the Forest Right Act, 2006 has been subverted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. They make five major points: 1.… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 3, 2025 The Ministry's statement came on social media platform X, where hours ago, Mr. Ramesh, who is also Congress' general secretary in charge of communications, made his post, referring to a letter sent to the Prime Minister's Office by over 150 forest rights and civil society groups across the country. Legally untenable data The civil society groups, in their letter dated June 28, noted that the India State of Forest Report 2023, purportedly misattributed the loss of forest cover to the implementation of the FRA, which was allegedly reiterated by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in a media interview this June as well. They also cited a June 2024 order evicting about 65,000 families from tiger reserves and alleged that the ministry submitted 'legally untenable' data to Parliamentary fora and the National Green Tribunal. They further alleged that the 2023 amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, were 'bulldozed through Parliament' and that the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Rules 2023, 'adversely impacted both the quantity and quality of forests.' The reference in social media to a letter alleging 'Subversion of the Forest Rights Act' reflects a gross misunderstanding of facts. MOEFCC remains committed to protecting forests, India's green cover and communities' dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas. It… — MoEF&CC (@moefcc) July 3, 2025 In a detailed post, rebutting these allegations, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change said, 'The statement of the Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change as quoted in the social media has been grossly misrepresented, distorted, represented in a piecemeal manner and is totally out of context.' The Ministry said that Mr. Yadav's statement in the media interview was in reference to the 'net increase in the forest cover in the country as per the latest State of Forest Report, wherein degradation in some forest areas has also been observed due to a variety of reasons.' 'The statement (Minister's) underlines that such degradation in the forest cover can be addressed by adopting protection measures that are implemented with effective community involvement,' it said. It added that the statement of the Minister was 'about increasing forest cover and halting the degradation of forests through active involvement of the local community' and government bodies, further saying this 'context' had been 'totally undermined, overlooked, and misrepresented in the tweet.' Govt.'s poor track record In Mr. Ramesh's post, he said the issues raised by the civil society groups are also of 'fundamental importance' to ecological security, adding, 'The track record of the Modi Government does not inspire the confidence that these issues will even get discussed and debated with those who have been compelled to bring the PM's attention to them.' 'The allegations being made that MoEFCC submits legally untenable data on encroachment in different forums are totally incorrect, unfounded, and do not hold any merit,' the ministry said. It went on to say that the point of eviction of families from tiger reserves was 'devoid of merit and misrepresentation,' further referring to the exercise as 'voluntary relocation,' which is governed by respective laws and procedures. The Ministry went on to say that the recently published Forest Survey of India report has actually recorded a 'substantial increase in forest and tree cover,' which it said was 'suggestive' of the involvement of communities. 'The inference drawn is contrary to the factual position and totally devoid of merit,' the ministry added. On allegations of amendments to the Forest Conservation Act and the subsequent Rules, the government said these were made 'without an in-depth knowledge and understanding' of the law's provisions. It insisted that the amendment was brought in 'as per laid down Constitutional processes' and with 'due Parliamentary procedures.' The ministry further added that its 'sincere efforts' to involve community members in forest management had also been overlooked, citing its work in bringing in Tharu tribals in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (UP) and with Soliga tribals in Karnataka, both of which have 'elicited a very good response.' It added that the government is committed to ensure 'well-being and active involvement' of tribal communities in forest management by using their 'traditional knowledge and wisdom.'
