Uttar Pradesh set a historic record by planting 36.51 crore saplings in a single day on July 20. The state has now surpassed this achievement, with over 36.80 crore saplings planted between July 20 and September 30.

Making the above claims here on Tuesday evening, an official spokesman of the government claimed that the department of Rural Development led the efforts with 13.53 crore saplings, closely followed by the Forest department with 12.92 crore.

Sonbhadra district ranks first, having planted more than 1.55 crore saplings. Additionally, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a leader in the ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ campaign, he claimed.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the ‘Ped Lagao, Ped Bachao Jan Abhiyan-2024’ by planting saplings in Lucknow on July 20.

On the same day, he extended the momentum of the campaign by planting saplings in Gorakhpur and Prayagraj. The initial goal was to plant 36.50 crore saplings on July 20, but the state exceeded this target by planting 36,51,45,477 saplings—1,45,477 more than planned.

The campaign continued uninterrupted under the guidance of CM Yogi, and as a result, the total number of saplings planted increased to 36.80 crore by September 30. This achievement was made possible through the combined efforts of all departments, led by the Forest, Wildlife, and Environment department.

Sonbhadra led the campaign with the highest number of saplings planted, reaching 1.55 crore by September 30, up from 1.53 crore on July 20. In Jhansi, the count rose from 97 lakh saplings on July 20 to 98.70 lakh by September 30.

Lakhimpur Kheri saw its numbers grow from 95 lakh to 96.18 lakh, while Jalaun increased from 94 lakh to 95.22 lakh during the same period.

In Mirzapur, the number of saplings planted rose from 93 lakh to 94.06 lakh.

The department of Rural Development spearheaded the plantation efforts, planting 13,54,62,142 saplings by September 30. The Forest department played a crucial role in enhancing the state’s green cover by planting 12,92,66,486 saplings.

Additionally, the Agriculture department planted 2.89 crore saplings, while the Horticulture department planted 1.61 crore saplings. The Panchayati Raj department also contributed significantly, planting over 1.18 crore saplings.