Mass tree planting key to green future: Chouhan
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday called for a mass tree planting movement for a greener future.
Addressing the ‘Paryavaran Sanrakshan Sankalp’ and ‘Vriksh Mitra Dialogue’ here at the PUSA campus, Chouhan said every family celebrate occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, the birth of children and the remembrance of departed parents by planting trees, thereby turning every personal milestone into a ‘Tree Festival’.
He urged every Vriksh Mitra to plant at least one tree annually and inspire at least five more people to join the campaign, with participants publicly sharing their commitment on social media to build a strong nationwide network by “Hariyali Amavasya” on August 12.
The minister also unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to transform environmental protection into a structured mass campaign, drawing upon suggestions from Vriksh Mitras during the interaction.
The minister further proposed the formation of ‘Vriksh Mitra Parivar’ committees at the national, state, district, block and village levels to provide an organised institutional framework for the movement, an official statement said.
Chouhan called for the formal registration of the structure and urged Panchayats and urban local bodies to identify dedicated sites for plantation, where every auspicious occasion and government programme, including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Lakhpati Didi Yojana, and initiatives of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, should begin with tree plantation.
Around 17,000 Vriksh Mitra from across the country participated in the programme. Padma Bhushan environmentalist Anil Joshi, renowned physician and social worker Anup Hajela, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and ML Jat were present at the event.
Together, they resolved to promote tree plantation, water conservation, soil protection, energy efficiency and a plastic-free lifestyle through public participation to safeguard the planet, the statement said.
The minister said that tree plantation efforts would no longer remain scattered initiatives but would be brought under an organised nationwide network named ‘Vriksh Mitra Parivar’.
