Underscoring the need to plant trees as a powerful way to combat climate change threatening the existence of Mother Earth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day on Wednesday unveiled a novel campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (A Tree in the Name of Mother) aiming to plant millions of saplings across the country.
The initiative highlights the nurturing and life-sustaining role of trees in our ecosystem and draws a parallel to the care provided by mothers.
The Government has also targeted planting 80 crore saplings by September 2024 and 140 crore saplings by March 2025, following a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach to beat the heat wave condition which is becoming more frequent and intense.
These extreme weather events are not only disrupting daily life but also having adverse ecological impacts on flora and fauna.
The campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ aligns with D Day’s theme 'Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,' underscoring the importance of combating land degradation and promoting sustainable land management practices.
Planting a sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi, Modi urged citizens to share pictures of trees planted in their mothers' names using the hashtag #Plant4Mother. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena were also present at the event.
Central and State Government Departments and Local Bodies have been asked to identify public spaces to support the campaign.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation, emphasizing the urgent need to combat climate change and calling for collective efforts to build a sustainable and greener world. She noted that protecting Mother Earth is a fundamental responsibility.
On their part, authorities too are taking proactive steps to address environmental concerns. A notable initiative in this regard was spearheaded by the Election Commission during the recent Lok Sabha polls, wherein a novel concept of 'cast a vote, plant a tree' was introduced. This innovative approach, initially piloted during the 2019 parliamentary elections in Alappuzha, Kerala, garnered widespread acclaim and has since been adopted by various regions across the country.
Meghalaya embraced the green initiative during the first phase of polling, signaling a growing momentum towards eco-friendly electoral practices. Subsequently, the Anandpur Sahib constituency in Punjab and the Maharajganj district administration also embraced this environmentally conscious approach.
Under this concept, every polling booth in the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat distributed saplings to first-time voters, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. These voters could plant the saplings wherever they chose after casting their votes. This initiative aims to promote both environmental sustainability and voter participation, said Heera Lal who was the general observer of the Anandpur Sahib constituency.
“The move aims to not only help the mission of green elections but also help in increasing voting percentage to an extent,” added Lal, who is also the Special Secretary of irrigation in the Uttar Pradesh Government.
In Maharajganj, over 1,500 voters received saplings at a 'green polling booth' set up for the Lok Sabha elections. Maharajganj District Magistrate Anunaya Jha remarked, "Ever since the election process started, we were seeing intense heat waves and a lot of problems were faced by our voters as well as our polling personnel due to the heatwave and the intense heat. Given this, we wanted to raise awareness regarding the environment and ecological balance."
Sonali Khan, Managing Trustee of Sesame Workshop India Trust, stressed the importance of engaging impressionable young minds in protecting the environment. She shared that the "Mera Planet, Mera Ghar" initiative launched by the Trust has significantly influenced environmental stewardship among children aged 5-12. “This environment literacy curriculum, based on STEM education and enabling experiential learning, has reached and engaged over 11,600 children in Delhi’s government schools over the last four years,” she added.
Khan at an event held here also stressed expanding initiatives like tree plantations in a big way given that loss of trees is a major factor in heatwave conditions getting worse as the vast expanses of open areas with very little or no trees increase the impact of direct sunlight. This escalates health issues and loss of life and livelihood, she said referring to the recent record-breaking heat wave and rains that various pockets of the country are witnessing.
She said, our initiatives such as waste segregation and the establishment of herbal gardens in schools too have been notably successful, with most students actively participating in these green activities along with taking the learnings back home to their families.
Likewise, on the occasion, Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, too called for strengthening collaboration between the health and environment sectors to address shared challenges. “It is imperative to advocate for policies that prioritize environmental sustainability and public health, and invest in research and innovation to develop sustainable healthcare practices,” she said.