Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has set a target to plant four crore trees in 33 districts in the state under the mega plantation drive, christened as “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”.
School children, personnel of Central paramilitary forces and police, and common people will be involved in the drive, officials said on Friday.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday launched the mega plantation drive in the Biodiversity Park in Atal Nagar in Nava Raipur where 20,000 saplings were planted.
He kicked off the campaign by planting a peepal sapling after performing traditional rituals and unveiling the campaign banner.
The state forest department is entrusted with the task of planting four crores across the state under this initiative, officials said.
On the first day of the campaign on Thursday, the forest department planted four lakh trees across 33 districts in the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sai said “Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called upon all 140 crore Indians to plant a tree in honour of their mothers. This call has transformed into a movement, and Chhattisgarh is taking it up as a campaign with the forest department aiming to plant four crore saplings across the state”.
Various species of trees including peepal, neem, and medicinal plants are being planted under the initiative.
The chief minister emphasized the necessity of tree plantation, highlighting the record heat experienced in the country this year.
