Over a year after the then SP-ruled UP government planted five crore saplingsin the state in a day and created a Guinness World Record, the BJP-ruled government is preparing to sow five crore saplings in a duration of three months.

The plantation drive, which will begin from July 1, also marks the beginning of Van Mahotsav week. It will go on till September-end. District-wise targets have been chalked out wherein 4.30 crore saplings will be planted by the forest department. The remaining 70 lakh saplings of trees such as neem will be planted by other 10 departments.

Giving details, Sanjeev Kumar, Meerut sub-divisional forest officer said, "The UP government has instructed all the districts to plant saplings across the state. A total of five crore saplings will be planted in the plantation drive, which will begin from July 1. The plantation will go on from July 1 to September."

The 10 other departments that have been roped in for the plantation drive include housing development board, industrial development department, department of horticulture and food processing, rural development department, city development department, public works department, irrigation department, silk development department, madhyamik shiksha and basic shiksha departments.

"In Meerut alone, a target of 1.19 lakh saplings has been given to the forest department, but we plan to sow at least 2.10 lakh saplings. On the other hand, a target of 1.09 lakh saplings has been given to the other 10 departments," said Kumar.

District-wise plantation committees have also been formed in this regard across the state, which will monitor and ensure the plantation in their respective districts and send a report to the higher ups in this regard. In Meerut, 36 sites for the plantation of saplings have been identified. The ssaplings for the sites will be supplied from eight nurseries of the forest department, two nurseries of the horticulture department and 14 private nurseries.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/