Uttar Pradesh plants 35 crore saplings in one day: Yogi Adityanath on balancing development and green cover

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the statewide Vriksharopan Mahayagya 2026 plantation drive from Gorakhpur, with a target of planting 35 crore saplings in a single day under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. The CM said the state has balanced rapid infrastructure development with forest cover expansion over the past nine years, claiming that increased forest cover has absorbed 6.37 crore tonnes of carbon dioxide and released 4.63 crore tonnes of oxygen. While the scale of the planting target is massive, the carbon absorption figures cited by the CM would depend on tree survival rates and species selection. Uttar Pradesh has been building expressways, highways, and new industrial zones, so the actual net impact on carbon will hinge on how many of these saplings survive to maturity. The state's approach of linking plantation drives to infrastructure projects is worth watching for anyone tracking Indian state-level climate action.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

35 crore saplings in a single day is a big number. But survival rate is what matters. UP has done these drives before and the follow up is usually the weak link.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. The carbon absorption numbers they cite assume every sapling grows to maturity. Real world survival in UP is often below 50 percent. Need to see audit data.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Also the species mix matters. They planted Triveni and Moulsari. Not all trees sequester carbon at the same rate. Would be good to know what the other 35 crore are.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The carbon numbers they cite (6.37 crore tonnes CO2 absorbed) sound like a back of envelope calculation assuming full growth. Without survival audits and species specific sequestration rates, it is just a political number.